Meals
Cooking meals lets you convert raw ingredients into food which is more enjoyable and/or nutritious. If the cook is decently skilled (4 or better), it can also reduce the chance of food poisoning from eating raw foods, eliminates the negative thought associated with eating some raw foods (meat, grains), and, with the higher level meals, can give a good thought.
Quick reference table
| Name | Market Value | Ingredient Count | Nutrients Required | Nutrient Yield | Nutrient Efficiency | Taste | Work To Make |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple meal |  15 |
1 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 180% | Simple | 300 |
| Fine meal | 20 |
2 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 180% | Fine | 450 |
| Lavish meal | 40 |
2 | 1.0 | 1 | 100% | Lavish | 800 |
| Packaged survival meal | 24 |
2 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 150% | Simple | 450 |
| Carnivore fine meal | 20 |
1 | 0.75 | 0.9 | 120% | Fine | 450 |
| Carnivore lavish meal | 40 |
1 | 1.25 | 1 | 80% | Lavish | 800 |
| Vegetarian fine meal | 20 |
1 | 0.75 | 0.9 | 120% | Fine | 450 |
| Vegetarian lavish meal | 40 |
1 | 1.25 | 1 | 80% | Lavish | 800 |
| Nutrient paste meal | 10 |
1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 300% | Awful | n/a |
| Pemmican | 1.4 |
2 | 0.5 | 0.8 [1] | 160% | Simple | 700 |
| Kibble | 1.1 |
2 | 2.0 | 2.5 [2] | 125% | Raw [3] | 450 |
| Chocolate | 3 |
n/a | n/a | 0.1 | n/a | Fine | n/a |
- ↑ Yields 16 Pemmican at 0.05 nutrition each.
- ↑ Yields 50 Kibble at 0.05 nutrition each.
- ↑ Despite its taste being classified as raw, eating Kibble applies a worse mood penalty to humans than eating actual raw food (-12 vs -7).
Nutrient paste meal
A synthetic mixture of protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins, amino acids and minerals. Everything the body needs, and absolutely disgusting.
A nutrient paste meal is produced from a nutrient paste dispenser, using raw food ingredients worth 0.3 points of nutrition (i.e.. the raw nutrition is tripled). When consumed, it gives a -4 mood penalty ("Ate awful meal"). The meals are dispensed on demand, and no cooking skill is required. Nutrient paste meals never cause food poisoning. The nutrient paste dispenser requires power to dispense a meal.
Simple meal
A simple meal quickly cooked from a few ingredients.
A simple meal is created at an electric stove, fueled stove, or a campfire and requires 0.5 total nutrition from any raw food (e.g. any combination of 10 meat, milk, or vegetables. 1 egg is equivalent to 5 meat.) to create. No cooking skill is required to create this meal. When eaten it provides no thought bonus or penalty. A simple meal provides 0.9 nutrition.
Carnivore fine meal
A complex dish assembled with care from meat ingredients.
A carnivore fine meal is a variant of the fine meal and is created at an electric stove or fueled stove. It requires 0.75 nutrition from any meat (15 meat) to create. A colonist with cooking skill of at least 6 is required to create this meal. When eaten it causes the Ate fine meal thought with a 5 mood bonus. All fine meals provides 0.9 nutrition.
Fine meal
A complex dish assembled with care from a wide selection of ingredients.
A fine meal is created at an electric stove or fueled stove and requires 0.25 nutrition from any combination of animal products and meat (5 meat, 5 milk or 1 egg) and 0.25 nutrition from vegetables (5 non-Hay vegetarian products) to create. A colonist with cooking skill of at least 6 is required to create this meal. When eaten it causes the Ate fine meal thought with a 5 mood bonus. A fine meal provides 0.9 nutrition.
Packaged survival meal
A high-quality packaged meal, manufactured for use in survival situations. While it never rots, it can still deteriorate if left outside. Great for traveling.
Packaged survival meals are a high-tech long-lasting food option. They are the colonists' primary food source at the very start of each game (except for a tribal start). They can also be found in cargo pods or cooked (after research) by colonists with a minimum cooking skill of 8. Packaged survival meals restore 0.9 nutrition and never expire, meaning they do not require cold storage. They require 0.3 nutrition of vegetarian and 0.3 nutrition of meat or animal product to produce.
Vegetarian fine meal
A complex dish assembled with care from vegetarian ingredients.
A vegetarian fine meal is a variant of the fine meal and is created at an electric stove or fueled stove. It requires 0.75 nutrition from non-meat animal products (15 milk or 3 eggs) or vegetables (15 non-Hay vegetarian products) to create. A colonist with cooking skill of at least 6 is required to create this meal. When eaten it causes the Ate fine meal thought with a 5 mood bonus. All fine meals provides 0.9 nutrition.
Lavish meal
A masterpiece of the culinary arts, this meal nourishes the body, mind, and soul.
A lavish meal is created at an electric stove or fueled stove and requires 0.5 nutrition from any combination of animal products and meat (10 meat, 10 milk or 2 eggs) and 0.5 nutrition from vegetables (10 non-Hay vegetarian products) to create. A colonist with cooking skill of at least 8 is required to create this meal. When eaten it causes the Ate lavish meal thought with a +12 mood bonus. A lavish meal provides 1.0 nutrition.
Vegetarian lavish meal
A masterpiece of the culinary arts, this meal nourishes the body, mind, and soul.
A vegetarian lavish meal is a variant of the lavish meal and is created at an electric stove or fueled stove. It requires 1.25 nutrition from non-meat animal products (25 milk or 5 eggs) or vegetables (25 non-Hay vegetarian products) to create. A colonist with cooking skill of at least 8 is required to create this meal. When eaten it causes the Ate lavish meal thought with a 12 mood bonus. All lavish meals provides 1.0 nutrition.
Carnivore lavish meal
A masterpiece of the culinary arts, this meal nourishes the body, mind, and soul.
A Carnivore lavish meal is a variant of the lavish meal and is created at an electric stove or fueled stove. It requires 1.25 nutrition of any meat, equal to 25 units, to create. A colonist with cooking skill of at least 8 is required to create this meal. When eaten it causes the Ate lavish meal thought with a 12 mood bonus. All lavish meals provides 1 nutrition.
