Food is an essential part of 7 Day to Die. Without food, you will starve, which doesn’t help anyone (expect zombies looking for food). Not all food is created equally, though. Some are best cooked, while some are better saved to be used as an ingredient in a recipe. Also, don’t forget the power of farming. 

Here is a list of the best of the best. 

This list is accurate as of Alpha 19.

10. Charred Meat (Best for Early Game)

Meat, Meat on Fire!

Charred meat is a great food option for when you need to eat now. You can try consuming it raw, but it will most likely get you sick. Just make sure you drink plenty of water as it will take -5 hydration from you.

Why Charred Meat is Great:

• It can be created on the fly with only a campfire
• +10 fullness
• +10 stamina
• +5 Health

How To Get Food Name:

• Cooking on a campfire with x5 Raw Meat
• Can be found while looting
• It can be purchased from the Trader 

Charred Meat details: Charred Meat 

9. Pumpkin Cheesecake (Best for Mid Game)

Who puts booze in cheesecake?

While it might not be the most delicious cheesecake around, pumpkin cheesecake is great when traveling around Navezgane. It will fill you up and grant a bartering increase buff. Just make it quick as it only lasts 5 minutes.

Why Pumpkin Cheesecake is Great:

• Bartering buff -5% buying prices for 5 minutes
• +42 fullness
• +20 stamina
• +21 health

How To Get Pumpkin Cheesecake:

• Craft at a campfire that has a cooking pot with pumpkin, egg, cornmeal, animal fat, and grain alcohol
• Can be found while looting
• If you’re lucky, the trader may have one

Pumpkin Cheesecake details: Pumpkin Cheesecake

8. Bacon and Eggs (Best for Early Game)

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Bacon and eggs are a great food item to have on you. It only takes two ingredients and will give you decent fullness. Just don’t forget you need to learn the recipe or get level 1 of Master Chef.

Why Bacon and Eggs are Great:

• +36 fullness
• +10 stamina
• +18 health

How To Get Bacon and Eggs:

• Bacon and Eggs can be found while scavenging
• The trader may have some in stock
• Bacon and Eggs can be crafted with raw meat and eggs at a campfire with a cooking pot.

 Bacon and Eggs details: Bacon and Eggs

7. Hobo Stew (Best for Late Game)

The description says it all

No one likes eating rotting flesh (hopefully), but what if it were mixed with vegetables? Still not convinced? How about +64 fullness? And no chance of sickness? Sounds good, right? Well, Hobo Stew will allow you to make that rotting flesh collection you have edible. It is also a great source of fullness and hydration. Just make sure you read the recipe or get level 3 of Master Chef.

Why Hobo Stew is Great:

• +64 fullness
• +20 hydration
• +30 stamina
• +32 health   

How To Get Hobo Stew:

• Go and bother the trader
• Raid the Shamway Foods
• Cook at a campfire with a cooking pot using rotting flesh, potato, ear of corn, animal fat, and bottled water

Hobo Stew details: Hobo Stew

6. Meat Stew (Best for Mid Game)

A survivor isn’t worth his salt if he can’t make a meat stew!

Meat Stew is a great all-around meal that can make the meat you have even better by adding potatoes and corn. Make sure you read the recipe book or get level 2 of the Master Chef perk before trying your luck making stew.

Why Meat Stew is Great:   

• +50 fullness
• +20 hydration
• +20 stamina
• +25 health

How To Get Meat Stew:

• Get lucky while looting
• See if the trader can help you out
• Cook at a campfire that has a cooking pot with raw meat, potato, ear of corn, animal fat, and bottled water

Meat Stew details: Meat Stew

5. Vegetable Stew (Best for Mid Game)

Who put a stove here?

If you insist on being a vegetarian even after the world ends, you are in luck. Vegetable stew is a food option and a great way to make the most of all that farming you put so much time into. Just grab the recipe or get level 2 of the Master Chef perk, and you are ready to get cooking!

Why Vegetable Stew is Great:

• +31 fullness
• +20 hydration
• +20 stamina
• +15 health

How To Get Vegetable Stew:

• Check the trader
• Do some scavenging
• Cook at a campfire that has a cooking pot with potato, ear of corn, mushrooms, and bottled water

Vegetable Stew details: Vegetable Stew

4. Sham Chowder (Best for Late Game)

It’s better than eating it plain

Sham may not be the most appealing food, but what if you could make it into chowder. Sham chowder is great overall food. It will increase your fullness by 53 and also grants the +1 fortitude buff for 10 minutes. Find the recipe or get level 3 of the Master Chef perk so you can reap the benefits.

Why Sham Chowder is Great:

• +53 fullness
• +10 hydration
• +30 stamina
• +80 health   

How To Get Sham Chowder:

• See if the trader has any available
• Keep looting Shamway Foods
• Cook at a campfire that has a cooking pot with Can of Sham, potato, ear of corn, and bottled water

Sham Chowder details: Sham Chowder

3. Shepherds Pie (Best for Late Game)

Who doesn't love an indoor campfire?

What is better than some good old-fashioned comfort food after a long day of scavenging? Well, Shepherds Pie is available to make! It is a great food choice giving a boost to all stats. The downside is that cooking requires some items you have to find via looting or the trader, and you need a recipe or level 4 of Master Chef to cook.

Why Shepards Pie is Great:

• +104 fullness
• +40 stamina
• +52 Health   

How To Get Shepards Pie:

• Find while scavenging
• See if the trader as any of them
• Cook at a campfire with a cooking pot and lamb rations, can of peas, ear of corn, animal fat, and potato.

Shepards Pie details: Shepards Pie

2. Gumbo Stew (Best for Late Game)

There better be some stew inside!

Gumbo is a great food option for later in your game. It will grant you a lot of fullness and has the added benefit of hydration. Make sure you look for the recipe or get to level 4 in the Master Chef perk tree to enjoy this treat.

Why Gumbo Stew is Great:

• +112 fullness
• +20 hydration
• +40 stamina
• +56 health

How To Get Gumbo Stew:

• Find it in some rotting trash
• Visit the trader on a good day
• Cook on a cooking pot equipped campfire with a large beef ration, peas, can of stock, animal fat, and bottled water.

Gumbo Stew details: Gumbo Stew

1. Spaghetti (Best for Late Game)

Please have spaghetti!

Everyone loves spaghetti, and just because the world ends, it doesn’t mean you have to live without it. Spaghetti will give you to most fullness of any in current in-game food. It will also give you a good amount of stamina and health. Grab the recipe or get to level 4 in the Master Chef perk tree to cook this yummy dish.

Why Spaghetti is Great:

• +122 fullness
• +40 stamina
• +61 health   

How To Get Spaghetti:

• Find it while scavenging
• Check the traders stock
• Cook on a campfire with a cooking pot with a large beef ration can of pasta, mushrooms, animal fat, and bottled water.

Spaghetti details: Spaghetti

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