A fistful of pennies rattling into a change machine essentially determined whether Jihad Ward would have to steal his dinner.

If Ward had to pay the full $2.50 MTA bus fare when he set out before 5 a.m. on his hour-long trip to junior college football practice, his pockets might be too light at the end of the day. When Ward rode for free from the Staten Island townhouse where he lived with nine teammates by flashing an expired high-school student identification card — or for pennies when the driver turned a blind eye to the short-changing — he breathed a momentary sigh of relief.

In the worst of times, Ward paid for some cheaper items, returned to the store with his bagged groceries in hand and slipped in extras.

“I used to double-bag to steal hot dogs or burgers, anything to fill me up,” Ward told The Post. “Where I’m from, if you don’t have any food and you’re a man, you have to do what you have to do.”