As in almost all survival games, having enough food is one of the most critical factors in staying alive. However, in DayZ, you face entirely different challenges. Not only can you overeat, but the presence of other players can also make it difficult to find food. With our guide, we hope this won’t be an issue, as we take a closer look at all the food sources and provide you with important tips on what to focus on, whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran in DayZ.
Nutrition in DayZ: Finding the Right Balance
All food items in DayZ have specific values that help your character survive. These are calories (for energy), water, and the stomach’s fill rate. Your stomach can only be filled up to 2000 ml, after which your character will likely feel quite sick! So, avoid overeating. Don’t let the stomach icon drop into the yellow zone either. We recommend eating whenever you have the opportunity. A good and balanced diet is also essential to fill your stomach at the right moment and consume enough calories.
Many food items can also be further processed, such as cooking or roasting. We’ll delve into these in the relevant sections. A cooking pot, a suitable stand, and a campfire are crucial to avoid consuming raw food. Additionally, always remember to wash your hands, especially if they are bloody!
Exploring Areas for Found Food
Most food didn’t survive the apocalypse in DayZ and either rotted or was already found by other players. However, in some houses or with zombies, you can still find canned food and dry food that isn’t spoiled and can be consumed without issues.
Effectively Using Canned Food in DayZ
In every good zombie apocalypse, canned food is the standard when it comes to eating! In DayZ, you’ll find many of these cans with different foods. From fish to spaghetti and even peaches, everything is available. Therefore, you absolutely need a can opener, although you can also open cans with a knife. However, you may lose up to 30% of the contents, which is undesirable.
Unlabeled cans and less palatable foods like pet food should be consumed slowly, if at all. Sometimes, you might have to resort to these if you can’t find anything else. Approach these foods cautiously so your character doesn’t overeat or vomit.
Energy-Packed: Discovering Snacks in DayZ
You can also find dry foods such as chips, granola bars, or cornflakes. Some of these foods provide a lot of energy, like sugar sticks. The bars are convenient if you don’t want to fill your stomach but still need energy. Rice expands in your stomach, so be cautious!
Sustainable Food Sources in Nature
Cans and snacks probably won’t sustain you for long, as there’s a limited supply in Chernarus. Eventually, you’ll have to rely on nature. Fortunately, DayZ offers a wide range of options for finding and preparing food!
Successfully Hunting Animals in DayZ
To obtain meat, you need to track down and kill animals. This can be challenging, especially for beginners, so they should focus on domestic animals like chickens. Usually, a knife and a melee attack are enough to kill and process them.
With a rifle, you’ll have more opportunities to find some rare animals and hunt them for their meat. The best meat comes from bears, cows, deer, and reindeer. Regular pigs and wild boars are also great sources of meat and are easier to kill. We recommend aiming for a good headshot to extract the most meat from the animal.
Of course, you should not eat the meat raw. There are three preparation methods:
- Cooking: Spoils quickly, but has a high water content
- Roasting/Baking: Best preparation method, both filling and a good water source
- Smoking: Long-lasting, but not a good water source
Fishing as a Constant Food Source
Fishing is also a fantastic food source, likely providing you with delicious fish throughout the game! With a long stick, a rope, and a hook carved from bones, you can start fishing relatively early in the game, making it an accessible option. You might also find proper fishing rods if you’re lucky. Additionally, you’ll need bait, which you can obtain by digging up worms and attaching them to your hook.
If fishing seems too tedious, you can set traps for the fish. You can craft a small fish trap from a water bottle and a knife and place it by water bodies. Alternatively, you can craft a fishing net if you have the appropriate equipment. Again, you’ll need worms as bait, but the traps automatically collect fish for you! The catch from traps isn’t as filling as proper fishing.
Fish caught in any way can also be prepared like meat to improve the values. You definitely shouldn’t consume fish raw or burned!
Fruits, Vegetables & Mushrooms: Using Fresh Sources
For both new and advanced players, foraging for fruits in the wild is also a good way to sustain yourself with food in the long term. Moreover, you can later grow some of these items yourself, providing an effectively limitless supply of fresh and nutritious foods! Zucchinis, for example, are the best vegetable variety and perfect for a garden.
Fresh food from nature can also be prepared but can be eaten raw as well (unlike meat). As before, cooking provides more water, baking is the best preparation method, and drying extends shelf life. Be sure they’re not spoiled, as they can make you sick.
Conclusion
In DayZ, your survival chances depend on how much food you find. You can live off pre-apocalypse items, but you can also rely on the variety of nature. In the long run, the latter is much better! Rent your own DayZ server with us and perhaps even set up your own garden to ensure a long-term supply of delicious vegetables. Alternatively, occasional hunting of wild animals or a trip to the lake for some fishing will do the trick.
