ЕСТЬ СВОЙ ХЛЕБ collVPsubj: human to earn one's own living
X ест свой хлеб = X eats his own bread
X supports himself(in limited contexts) X makes it on his own.
(Софья Егоровна:) Мы будем людьми, Мишель! Мы будем есть свой хлеб, мы будем проливать пот, натирать мозоли... (Чехов 1). (S.E.:) Well be decent people, Michael. We shall eat our own bread. We shall live by the sweat of our own brows. We shall have calloused hands (1a).