Not all food is created equal in the blocky world we love, so we’ve rounded up the top 15 food items that will keep your hunger at bay and your health regenerating. I’m taking into account not just how much hunger and saturation they restore, but also how easy they are to get and any extra perks they bring to the table.
I am here to share the best food items in Minecraft, though – so let’s jump right in!
15. Sweet Berries
Sweet Berries might not fill you up much, but they’re a lifesaver when you’re just starting out. Found in taiga biomes, these little red berries are easy to gather and can be farmed quickly. Before you know it, you’ll have a berry farm big enough to keep you fed through those tough early days.
- Hunger Restored: 2 points (1 drumstick)
- Saturation: 0.4
Pro Tip: Be careful when harvesting; those berry bushes have thorns that can prick you!
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14. Melon Slices
Melons are another early-game staple. While a single slice won’t do much for your hunger, melons are plentiful once you find a jungle or grow them yourself. Plus, they’re essential for brewing healing potions when crafted into glistering melons.
- Hunger Restored: 2 points (1 drumstick)
- Saturation: 1.2
13. Bread
Good old bread is a reliable food source that’s easy to mass-produce. With wheat farms being one of the simplest setups, you’ll never run out of it again.
- Hunger Restored: 5 points (2.5 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 6
Pro Tip: Raid village farms for quick access to wheat, but don’t forget to replant – villagers gotta eat too!
12. Baked Potatoes
Baked Potatoes are a step up from their raw counterparts. They’re easy to grow and provide decent hunger and saturation. Just toss raw potatoes in a furnace or smoker (or even a few on a campfire for almost free cooking), and you’re good to go.
Even though they are not as good as the better recommendations on this list, baked potatoes are my favorite food in Minecraft. And same goes for real life to, thanks for asking.
- Hunger Restored: 5 points (2.5 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 6
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11. Cooked Salmon
If you’re near a river or ocean, fishing up some salmon is a solid choice. Cooked Salmon offers more hunger and saturation than other early-game foods and is relatively easy to get.
- Hunger Restored: 6 points (3 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 9.6
Pro Tip: Craft a fishing rod with Lure and Luck of the Sea enchantments for faster and more rewarding fishing sessions.
10. Cooked Mutton
Sheep aren’t just for wool! Cooked Mutton is a decent food source, especially if you’re herding sheep for other purposes like building that epic wool statue.
- Hunger Restored: 6 points (3 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 9.6
Pro Tip: Set up a sheep farm for a renewable source of food and wool. Use the shears on them before turning them into tasty Minecraft food.
9. Cooked Chicken
Chickens are everywhere, and they’re easy to farm. Cooked Chicken restores a good amount of hunger and saturation, making it a handy food source in Minecraft.
- Hunger Restored: 6 points (3 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 7.2
Pro Tip: Beware of raw chicken – it can give you food poisoning. Always cook your poultry!
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8. Mushroom Stew
Mushroom Stew is an underrated food item. Find both red and brown mushrooms, craft a bowl, and you’ve got yourself a hearty meal. Not as easy to carry around as other stackable food items, but still a decent choice for the sophisticated players.
- Hunger Restored: 6 points (3 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 7.2
Pro Tip: Keep empty bowls in your inventory and find a Mooshroom – right-click with the bowl for unlimited stew on the go!
7. Suspicious Stew
This one’s a wildcard. Suspicious Stew can give you various effects depending on the flower used in crafting. It’s a gamble but can be incredibly beneficial if you want to risk it a bit.
- Hunger Restored: 6 points (3 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 7.2 (plus status effect)
Pro Tip: Use an Oxeye Daisy to get a quick Regeneration effect, perfect for a clutch heal.
6. Rabbit Stew
One more stew to add to this list! Minecraft’s Rabbit Stew is one of the most filling foods in the game. It’s a bit of a hassle to craft, requiring multiple ingredients, but it’s worth it for the hunger restoration.
- Hunger Restored: 10 points (5 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 12
Pro Tip: Since Rabbit Stew also doesn’t stack, it’s best used when you’re close to home or need a big hunger refill fast.
5. Honey Bottle
Honey Bottles are a sweet treat with a bonus – they cure poison. If you’re exploring caves with those pesky cave spiders, carrying some honey can save your life, not just feed you a decent amount.
- Hunger Restored: 6 points (3 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 1.2
Pro Tip: Set up beehives near a flower field for maximum honey production. Remember to use a campfire underneath to keep the bees chill when collecting.
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4. Steak
Steak is a fan favorite. It’s easy to get once you have a cow farm going and restores a hefty amount of hunger and saturation.
- Hunger Restored: 8 points (4 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 12.8
3. Cooked Porkchop
Porkchops are right up there with steak, fan favorites and excellent food items in the game. Pigs are plentiful, and each one can drop multiple pork chops. My go-to meal in the game if I don’t have potatoes.
- Hunger Restored: 8 points (4 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 12.8
Pro Tip: Carrot on a stick can help you lead pigs into your farm. Breed them with carrots or potatoes for an endless supply.
2. Golden Carrot
Golden Carrots are the best for saturation in the game, meaning your hunger bar stays full longer. They’re also used in brewing Night Vision potions. Even if it’s expensive food, it’s top quality!
- Hunger Restored: 6 points (3 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 14.4
Pro Tip: Trade with Master-level farmer villagers to get golden carrots without spending your gold ingots.
1. Golden Apple
The Golden Apple is an expensive food to make. While it may not fill your stomach as much, it does provide some wonderful benefits!
The classic golden apple has both regeneration and absorption properties. It will provide you with two extra hearts for 2 minutes.
- Hunger Restored: 4 points (2 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 9.6
Effects:
- Regeneration II for 5 seconds
- Absorption I for 2 minutes (adds 2 extra hearts)
Pro Tip: Always keep a couple of these on hand for tough battles, exploring the Nether, or when you decide to raid a Woodland Mansion.
Honorable Mention: Chorus Fruit
While not the best for hunger or saturation, Chorus Fruits have a unique teleportation effect, which can be both fun and useful – although sometimes risky as well.
- Hunger Restored: 4 points (2 drumsticks)
- Saturation: 2.4
- Special effect: instant teleportation 8 blocks away, in a random direction.
All in all, if you can make a Cow Farm or Pig Farm early on, then you’re pretty much set for the rest of the game. Even a potato farm can help A LOT. And always keep some emergency rations like Golden Apples for those unexpected creeper encounters or when you decide to take on the Ender Dragon.
Do you have other favorite foods in Minecraft? Let us all know by sharing your thoughts down below! Or if you want to keep reading my articles, I recommend checking out the best games like Maplestory 1 and 2.