Starfield: What is Food Good For? Best Food in Starfield

Food has always had a, shall we say, interesting place in Bethesda games, and that’s still true in Starfield. Some bits still fill the age-old role of “stuff your face with this when low on health.” These options are far outclassed by foods and beverages with beneficial effects that can make playing Starfield a lot more comfortable. We’ll be going over the best foods we could find in Starfield and why even a lowly sandwich might come in handy someday.

Related: Starfield Complete Guide – Quest, Lore, Story & Trailers

Best Foods to Eat in Starfield

The best foods in Starfield are any that provide at least two positive benefits. Boom Pop, for instance, will always heal you for 3 Health and increase your oxygen recovery by 10% for three minutes. Rarer foods can provide as many as four different buffs and debuffs, depending on the ingredients that make them. Here are some of the best I’ve been able to find so far:

• Boba Alien Tea: Restores 3 Health, +10 oxygen for 5 minutes, +2% XP gain for 15 minutes
• Fully-Loaded Bloody Mary: Restores 15 Health, +25 Oxygen for 5 minutes, +125 Damage Resistance for 5 minutes, -25 oxygen recovery for 5 minutes
• Drink Pack Water: Restores 3 Health, Actions use -20% oxygen for 3 minutes

Fresh foods, especially complex ones, are by far the best choices. Even the Bloody Mary, despite its massive oxygen recovery debuff, is probably worth it in the long run. That fact is one reason I highly recommend investing in the Gastronomy skill early in a playthrough so you can craft additional complex, beneficial foods. You’ll find tons of raw ingredients as you explore, but don’t eat them right away.

Instead, do a little hoarding and fill up a portion of your ship’s cargo hold with these ingredients so you always have a ready stock when the time comes to cook. Don’t be afraid to pick up any cooked food and drink that you come across in the world. Just don’t do what I did and never use it. Food in Starfield might not spoil, but it still takes up space.

Good Foods to Keep and Craft in Starfield

Not every food is worth its weight in credits, but many still have their uses. Alcoholic beverages are some of the best, provided you don’t mind taking an oxygen regen hit. Here are a few food items you should consider keeping around:

• Chandra Chardonnay: +12% Persuasion Chance for 5 minutes, -15% oxygen recovery for 5 minutes
• Erdebrau Light Can: +75 damage resistance for 3 minutes, -10% oxygen recovery for 3 minutes
• Drink Pack, Orange Juice: Restores 3 Health, +8 oxygen for 5 minutes

And these are just a sampling. Again, you want foods that can do more than one thing, but if they only provide one benefit, make sure they do it well. The more you collect and craft, the better your crafting abilities become until you’re a five-star chef all on your own, giving yourself powerful buffs that can help carry you through Starfield’s harder content.

As for the food items that only heal you a trace amount (Chunks, Bitten Sandwiches, Toast), I’d sell them or use them all up at once during a big fight. You’ll find enough of the things exploring that your pockets will be bursting in an hour or so.