Don’t Starve Together: The Best Food Sources

Highlights

• Don’t Starve Together is a unique and challenging survival game loved by gamers in the genre.
• Managing hunger is crucial in the game, and players need to choose the best food sources for survival.
• Cooked Eel, Roasted Juicy Berries and Frozen Banana Daiquiri are excellent food options with different benefits for players.

Gamers that enjoy playing complex and long survival games have undoubtedly played Don’t Starve since it’s among the best in this genre. And that’s because Klei Entertainment has created a unique survival game that puts players in an unforgiving environment that’ll either make or break them. Furthermore, Don’t Starve lets players choose how they want to survive, whether being a pacifist survivor or a hardened hunter that wipes out every living creature on the map.

And with the release of Don’t Starve Together, players would now be able to join forces with their friends and see how far they can survive the wilds. But, Don’t Starve Together features more survival mechanics than its predecessor, so players will need to learn what to do if they want to survive. One crucial feature is managing Hunger which is why players will need to know which food source is best to use while surviving the unforgiving land of the wilds.

Updated December 20, 2023, by Alexandra O’Leary: Don’t Starve Together is a fantastically challenging and unique game that combines the very best of survival components to create a distinct game unlike any other. It’s one of the most popular individual indie survival games to date, and developers Klei Entertainment are brilliant at updating the game and adding new content. One of the three central aspects of the game is hunger. All the characters in Don’t Starve Together need some food to stay alive. Luckily, the game has a plethora of recipes and ingredients ready to be cooked, if only players know-how. Not all characters will eat all foods, so it’s important to have a good selection of recipes. Most importantly, certain foods will restore sanity and health, so players will want to make sure they make the most of their meals. Not all foods are perfect for hunger refilling, but their other benefits can be the most important part.

22 Cooked Eel

Best for: Hunger

Stats:

• +8 Health
• +12.5 Hunger
• +0 Sanity
• Perishes in 10 days

Fishing in Don’t Starve Together is one of the most effective ways to stock up on food since there are numerous food sources that players can fish out of the water. Eels are among the best food in Don’t Starve Together to fish since they can be found in nearly any Pond, especially the Wild Pond.

Players need to place a Raw Eel onto a Fire Pit to make Cooked Eel without needing to add any other ingredient. Moreover, players can take advantage while farming Eels to trade them with the Pig King since he exchanges five gold nuggets for a single Eel. So, even if Cooked Eel doesn’t replenish Sanity, it still is worthwhile to make it as a quick meal or trade for some gold.

21 Roasted Juicy Berries

Best for: Hunger

Stats:

• +3 Health
• +18.75 Hunger
• +0 Sanity
• Perishes in 1 day

Even though Roasted Juicy Berries only fills up +3 Health, it still merits being mentioned in this DST best food source list as it’s easy to create a farm for it. Players can easily plant and harvest several Juicy Berry bushes around their base, and since they grow relatively quickly, players will have an unending source of them.

Unfortunately, due to its quick Perish Rate (2 Days), players must ensure they only harvest the amount they need since harvesting too many at a time will waste a lot of Juicy Berries. But, on the plus side, any Perished Juicy Berry can be used as a Fertilizer for other plant-based farms.

20 Frozen Banana Daiquiri

Best for: Health

Stats:

• +30 Health
• +18.75 Hunger
• +15 Sanity
• Perishes in 15 days

While getting the ingredients to craft the Frozen Banana Daiquiri isn’t easy since it involves traveling to the frozen glaciers, it’s well worth the effort since it’s one of the best food sources to cure Insanity. It’s made with 1 Banana, 1 Ice, and 2 fillers. Players should not add twigs, or else they will make a Banana Pop. As players will notice, the Frozen Banana Daiquiri replenishes Sanity by 15 points, which is useful if they use ranged weapons that decrease Sanity like the Fire Staff.

On top of that, the Frozen Banana Daiquiri has a special perk that lowers a player’s temperature by 15 degrees over 15 seconds, which will come in handy during summer.

19 Asparagus Soup

Best for: Health

Stats:

• +20 Health
• +18.75 Hunger
• +5 Sanity
• Perishes in 15 days

The Asparagus Soup is a great food source in the Vegetable Food category since it’s quick and simple to craft. Players will only need 1x Asparagus and 1.5x Vegetable Filler; after that, players can place it inside the Crock Pot and wait 10 seconds.

On top of that, the Asparagus Soup is one of Wormwood’s (one of the best-starting characters in Don’t Starve Together) favorite meals, which means they’ll reap other benefits from consuming it. This food source also lasts up to 15 days before perishing, which is high despite its low stats.

18 Roasted Potato

Best for: Hunger

Stats:

• +20 Health
• +25 Hunger
• +0 Sanity

The Potato is a cheap and effective food players can eat to restore a huge chunk of Health and Hunger. But, if players want to get the most out of it (and avoid losing Sanity and Health), they’ll need to cook it on a Fire Pit. Players who enjoy playing as Wolfgang will be happy to know that eating Roasted Potatoes fills him up twice as much (40 Hunger).

Normal Seeds have a slight chance of turning into Potato plants, but the most effective method to get Potato Seeds is by feeding Normal Seeds to a Bird in a Birdcage as it will drop a Potato Seed. Players can also use potatoes to make Creamy Potato Purée, Grim Galette, and Puffed Potato Soufflé.

17 Salsa Fresca

Best for: Sanity

Stats:

• +3 Health
• +25 Hunger
• +33 Sanity
• Perishes in 15 days

Players with a lot of extra Vegetables in their storage will want to craft this meal as it’s one of the best food in DST to recover Sanity. Salsa Fresca can be crafted by combining Toma Root, Onion, and two Filler items like Berries or Ice. On top of that, it only takes 10 seconds to prepare and lasts for 15 Days before perishing.

Of course, Salsa Fresca isn’t the best food source to recover Health, so players will need to bring additional meals that help them regain Health.

16 Ice Cream

Best for: Sanity

Stats:

• +0 Health
• +25 Hunger
• +50 Sanity
• Perishes in 3 days

Ice Cream may not look like much if players are after big hunger points, but the most impressive aspect of the dish is the sheer amount of sanity it can restore. The downside of Ice Cream is that it isn’t super easy to make, and it’s certainly one of the more specific dishes in the game. However, it’s tied for the best DST sanity-restoring dish – so those playing characters with low sanity will want to pay attention.

Making Ice Cream requires one Dairy Product, one Ice, and one Sweetener (honey or honeycomb are the easiest to find). It will restore +50 Sanity and will cool down any character by 40 degrees – making it the perfect summer dish to prevent overheating. For those who love Webber, this is his favorite food and will give him an extra +15 health when eaten. It might not be the easiest choice, but in the right circumstances, it can be an absolutely huge boost.

15 Trail Mix

Best for: Health

Stats:

• +30 Health
• +27.5 Hunger
• +5 Sanity
• Perishes in 15 days

Trail Mix is one of the best early game food sources in Don’t Starve Together since it only requires 1x Roasted Birchnut, 1x Berry, and 1x Fruit Filler. Furthermore, players who eat Trail Mix as Walter will recover an extra +15 Hunger, making it even better.

But, of course, in order to have a steady source of Trail Mix, players will need to create an efficient Birchnut Tree farm, which can be challenging to know without prior preparation. But, once created, players can enjoy a stable source of Trail Mix.

14 Fishsticks

Best for: Health

Stats

• +40 Health
• +37.5 Hunger
• +5 Sanity
• Perishes in 10 days

For newer Don’t Starve Together players, Fishsticks are a fantastic early-game option because they’re cheap and easy to make. They restore a lot based on how much it takes to make them, which makes them a go-to choice every time. Fishsticks is an apt name since it literally takes one fish and one twig to make them: ergo, a fish stick. The filler slots could have monster meat or veggie options like mushrooms and berries and the result will still be Fishsticks – which means they’re so easy to make.

Once players are more comfortable running around The Constant, Fishsticks can also be used to get a Kittykit. This gives players a fun little companion to stop them feeling lonely. Wigfrid will eat fish-based dishes, so it’s great for her too. It’s important to remember that using more than one twig in the recipe will ruin it, and won’t result in Fishsticks – so one twig only is absolutely paramount.

13 Fancy Spiralled Tubers

Best for: Hunger

Stats:

• +3 Health
• +37.5 Hunger
• +15 Sanity
• Perishes in 10 days

Most players are quickly put off using the Fancy Spiralled Tubers when they see what little it fills their HP bar, but the truth is players should mainly use this food source to cure Insanity. On top of that, it’s quite easy to craft since players only need 1x Potato, 1x Twigs, and 2 Meat Fillers.

But, of course, players should not depend on the Fancy Spiralled Tubers to heal them in a pinch, so carrying a different food source is highly recommended. Moreover, players can carry up to 40 Fancy Spiralled Tubers in their inventory, lasting up to 10 days before perishing.

12 Puffed Potato Souffle

Best for: Hunger

Stats:

• +20 Health
• +37.5 Hunger
• +15 Sanity
• Perishes in 10 days

The Puffed Potato Souffle is a viable vegetable food source players can craft while surviving the wilds. Players can start crafting this food source as soon as they set up an Intermediate Farm, but they’ll need to have Sweet Potatoes to plant. It requires two potatoes and an egg to create this dish, and it’s only available in Warly’s Portable Crock Pot.

And players that want to kick up a notch, the Puffed Potato Souffle can instead use Cooked Sweet Potatoes and create Ratatouille which further increases its healing attributes. There are also Don’t Starve Together mods that can help players craft this food source in bulk.

11 Pierogi

Best for: Health

Stats:

• +40 Health
• +37.5 Hunger
• +5 Sanity
• Perishes in 20 days

Players who dislike cooking meals constantly in Don’t Starve Together will be happy to know that the Pierogi food source lasts up to 20 days before perishing. On top of that, it only takes 20 seconds to cook Pierogi, which gives players another reason to stock up on it. It requires 1 meat, 1 egg, and 1 vegetable to craft this item.

Unfortunately, while the Pierogi is great for recovering Health and Hunger, it doesn’t raise a player’s Sanity by too much. So, players do well in carrying other food sources that increase Sanity or suffer the consequences of losing their minds.

10 Barnacle Nigiri

Best for: Health

Stats:

• +40 Health
• +37.5 Hunger
• +5 Sanity
• Perishes in 10 days

The Barnacle Nigiri was first introduced into Don’t Starve Together in the Return of Them update in May 2021. This food source is quite useful for players to have in their inventory since it significantly replenishes the Health and Hunger bar. Requiring only 1 Barnacle, 1 Kelp Frond, and 1 Egg, this dish can be a bit hard to make but worth it.

But, to craft Barnacle Nigiri, players will need to harvest Sea Sprouts found in the Rough Ocean. Barnacles spawn every 2 to 4 days, depending on the season. But, players should be careful while harvesting Barnacles as Sea Weeds tend to spawn after a couple of days.

9 Meatballs

Best for: Hunger

Stats:

• +3 Health
• +62.5 Hunger
• +5 Sanity
• Perishes in 10 days

At first glance, players may dismiss Meatballs as a poor food source, but the truth is that Meatballs are the best meat food source in Don’t Starve Together since they only require cooking 1x Meat (any meat will suffice since they all work) in the Crock Pot.

And that alone makes it the perfect food source to mass-produce, especially since nearly every monster drops Monster Meat. But, of course, players should only use Meatballs as a way to raise their Hunger Bars since it only recovers +3 Health.

8 Barnacle Linguine

Best for: Hunger

Stats:

• +10 Health
• +75 Hunger
• +20 Sanity
• Perishes in 6 days

When discussing Don’t Starve Together food sources, the Crock Pot is a must-have as it helps players craft unique meals that are highly beneficial for their Hunger and Sanity. The Barnacle Linguine is another meal players should consider crafting in a Crock Pot since it’s easy to prepare and only takes 40 seconds to complete.

This food source requires 2x Barnacles and 2x Vegetables, which are easy to obtain, especially once the player has a Barnacle and Potato Farm. The only downside of preparing Barnacle Linguine is that it has a short shelf life (6 Days), meaning it’s not suitable for long trips.

7 Honey Ham

Best for: Hunger

Stats:

• +30 Health
• +75 Hunger
• +5 Sanity
• Perishes in 15 days

The Honey Ham is a useful food source from the Meat Food category since it heals a player by quite a lot while also providing a decent Sanity recovery. Moreover, players can make Honey Ham with just about any type of meat (Morsel, Meat, Normal Meat, Monster Meat, and Leafy Meat) and honey.

But, players will need to set up their bases with plenty of Crock Pots since it takes 40 seconds to cook one, so if players want to make the most out of the Honey Ham, they should mass-produce it. Furthermore, players must eat the Honey Ham within 15 days before it perishes.

6 Stuffed Fish Heads

Best for: Hunger

Stats:

• +20 Health
• +75 Hunger
• +0 Sanity
• Perishes in 3 days

Almost every survival game (even the most brutal ones) has players fish for food, and Don’t Starve Together is no different as some of the best food sources are found in the water. Stuffed Fish Heads are an essential food to have in a player’s inventory as they provide a decent amount of Health and Hunger regain. Made with 1 Barnacle and 1 fish, it can be an easy dish to recreate.

But, on the downside, Stuffed Fish Heads perishes quite fast (3 days) compared to others, so players should only craft enough to satisfy their Health or Hunger needs.

5 Bacon And Eggs

Best for: Hunger

• +20 Health
• +75 Hunger
• +5 Sanity
• Perishes in 20 Days
• Wilson gains 90 Food in Together

Bacon and eggs an easy food items that can be made with 2 units of Eggs and 1.25 units of Meat. It’s an easy dish with create benefits, and even higher benefits for those playing with Wilson in Together, as he receives additional food. And with a long perish time, this is a great food that can be stocked up on.

However, it does take 40 seconds to make in the Crockpot, which can easily bog down players’ time during the day, so it would be worth spending a day making enough if possible to make it worthwhile.

4 Meaty Stew

Best for: Hunger

• +12 Health
• +150 Hunger
• +5 Sanity
• Perishes in 10 days

Meaty Stew is a great meal choice to stock up on. With only 15 seconds to cook, it can be a fast dinner option for those needing to whip something up quickly. Players will only need 3 units of meat, which can be incredibly easy to obtain with such high rewards.

Since it’s such high value, this is a great meal to eat when close to starving as a saving grace, especially for characters with high hunger rates such as Wolfgang, who desperately needs to stay full in order to survive.

3 Mandrake Soup

Best for: Hunger

• +100 Health
• +150 Hunger
• +5 Sanity
• Perishes in 6 days

While Mandrake Soup has great buffs for both health and hunger, it’s a hard dish to make by taking up to 60 seconds to cook, as well as perishing extremely quickly. However, players only need to use 1 raw mandrake in the crock pot and 3 fillers, but will put players to sleep. So while it is such a great item if players are desperate, it can be a tedious meal to prepare.

But for players who are desperate to need an extra buffer when wandering around and finding a Mandrake, this could be a game-changer item for sure. Mandrakes can be found in Grasslands and in Caves, and are usually grouped together. If players pick these during the day, they will die and be gained as an item, which then can be cooked. But if players choose to pick these creatures at night, they will uproot and follow the player around until daytime.