While not quite a deserted desert island, Sons Of The Forest drops players right into the middle of the wilderness, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and whatever supplies they can scavenge from the wreckage to work with. To survive, players must find their own source of water, food, and shelter.
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With a wide variety of different consumables to choose from, players will be wondering which items can sustain them the best during their time on the island, and which should be skipped over. Here are the best foods in Sons Of The Forest, ranked by usefulness.
Updated on March 9, 2024, by Taylor Pittman: Players can test their survival skills in Sons of the Forest, especially with the 1.0 update adding new content and gameplay systems. While there are hostile cannibals and mutants to worry about, players are also fighting against nature. Food and water are essential to living on the island, and some meals have stat-boosting effects. So, this guide has been updated to include even more of the best food players can get in Sons of the Forest.
12 Limbs
Harvested From Dead Cannibals
Putting aside the ethical qualms of following in the footsteps of the player’s not-so-friendly neighbors, becoming a cannibal is not all that worth it. Not only does it require the player to kill an enemy, but if witnessed by others, it will make the inhabitants even more hostile towards them, which will come back to bite in the long run.
It’s probably better to just burn the cannibal’s corpses to acquire their bones. That being said, arms and legs do provide some emergency food if players are starving, so it’s better than nothing.
11 Mushrooms
Found Growing Around the Forest
Mushrooms can either help or hinder the player. Some types, like the Shiitake Mushroom, are perfectly edible and can be eaten to modestly boost hunger levels. Others, like the Fly Amanita Mushroom, are poisonous and will damage the player’s health if consumed.
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Their most helpful aspect is that they can be grown on a farm, providing players with a steady and available supply of food.
10 Berries
Picked From Berry Bushes in The Forest
Like Mushrooms, there are edible types, such as Blueberries, Blackberries, and Salmonberries, and poisonous types, such as Twinberries and Snowberries. They can also be grown and farmed in the same way.
While they don’t provide a whole lot of nourishment, Berries are an ideal snack if players become hungry while away from the base, and there are plenty around to keep them well-fed. Just be careful to eat the right ones, as eating poisonous berries can quickly drain the player’s health.
9 Non-Perishables
Picked Up From Campsites and Other Man-made Structures
Non-Perishables are packets of food that have been left behind by previous occupants and include Canned Food, Ramen Noodles, MREs, and Crunchie Wunchies. These can be looted from bags, containers, and chests and are usually found inside bunkers.
While they are useful due to their inability to go rotten, players must go scavenging for them, meaning they won’t always provide a reliable source of food. Additionally, eating Ramen Noodles will restore hunger levels but also make the player thirsty, and Canned Food requires a can opener to access. Overall, not the most convenient food source.
8 Energy Mix
Crafted Inside the Inventory
A consumable that is crafted from several herbs, Energy Mix gives the player a boost to energy levels, especially useful if they are running low on sleep. The base version can be crafted by combining Chicory and Arrowleaf, whereas an upgraded Energy Mix + requires Chicory, Fireweed, and Devil’s Club.
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While this mix will not provide much sustenance, it helps when journeying far away from base and hence being unable to rest, and is a strong overall item to have at a player’s disposal. The only downside is having to collect the various herbs needed to craft it.
7 Health Mix
Crafted Inside the Inventory
Similar to Energy Mix, Health Mix is a crafted consumable that restores a portion of the player’s health. It is crafted from Aloe Vera and Yarrow, and the upgraded Health Mix + requires the addition of Horsetail and Fireweed while removing the Yarrow.
Once again, Health Mix won’t provide any nourishment, but it helps players heal after a particularly nasty fight and acts as a decent replacement for meds. They are well worth taking the extra effort to collect the herbs needed to craft them.
6 Oyster
Harvested on Beaches in Water
Unique because they’re the only meat that doesn’t turn rotten, oysters are about the closest players will get to fine dining in Sons Of The Forest. These mollusks are found underwater, meaning they are slightly annoying to obtain, but if players have picked up the Rebreather, it shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge.
They can be a good source of food if living right by the coast – otherwise, there are probably more convenient options.
5 Raw Meat/Fish
Harvested From Dead Animals by Hunting or Using Traps
Meat and Fish can be acquired by hunting game in the woods or fishing in rivers or ponds. While players can eat them raw, it’s usually best to cook them by placing them on a fire and waiting for a change in color. Consuming these plentiful sources of protein can then give players a healthy boost to their hunger level.
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It’s important to note that Meat and Fish eventually go rotten, which will damage the player’s health, stamina, and thirst levels if eaten. Players should place their cooked food on a hook on the drying rack to avoid this and wait until it dries. Dried food will never go rotten, allowing players to consume cooked meat without fear.
4 Energy Bar/Energy Drink
Picked Up From Campsites and Other Man-made Structures
While Energy Bars and Energy Drinks must be scavenged for and cannot be grown or caught near base like other items, they are nevertheless the best "raw" food in the game. Both restore hunger/thirst levels and give a temporary energy boost.
These are great for keeping the player fed and energized on the go. This can come in handy in a sticky situation or if the player simply needs that bit of extra time to loot, scavenge, or harvest the important resources that the island has to offer. Players would do well to keep one or two of these items on hand throughout the game.
3 Boiled Meat
Made Using a Cooking Pot
Players can cook meals if they have the right time and equipment and gain health and stamina boosts. Cooking requires a cooking pot found at many campsites and a small fire. Players can boil water to get clean water, but they can also boil proteins. Boiling meat is one of the easiest recipes in the game.
Boiled Meat grants players a strength boost, healing, 100% Hydration, and 100% Saturation. The recipe consists of a full pot of water and two pieces of any type of meat.
2 Greg
Made Using a Cooking Pot
Greg is a special meal made from human body parts chopped away using an axe. Limbs aren't sustainable meals as they come, but combining and cooking them makes acquiring them worth it. Players will need the following to make Greg:
- 2x Arm
- 1xHead
- 2x Leg
Greg takes a little longer to cook, but players can eat it straight from the pot or add it to their inventory once it is ready. Greg's benefits include 100% Hydration, 100% Hunger, Health increase, Stealth increase, Strength gain, and a chopping speed boost.
1 Kitchen Sink
Made Using a Cooking Pot
Kitchen Sink is a seafood delicacy. Players will need several items if they want to make this meal, but it has the most benefits out of everything else they could make. Kitchen Sink consists of the following ingredients:
- 2x Fish
- 2x King Oyster Mushroom
- 2x Raw Meat
- 2x Oyster
- 1x Ramen
- 2x Turtle Egg
The hardest ingredients to gather will be the oysters and turtle eggs. Turtle eggs are found along beach shorelines where the sea turtles come to rest. They are a rare spawn, so search carefully for them. Oysters are also found near water, but players can pick them up in cannibal skin pouches.
