Three food slots, and in Valheim 1.0 the best three you can fill them with are Meat In Bread, Seal Meat Soup, and Smoked Moose Meat. That is 325 health on the bar, 109 stamina, and 21 HP per regeneration tick. No combination in the game goes higher.
Which is the short version of a longer answer, because you almost never want the health ceiling. You want the right ceiling. There are three of them, they do not overlap, and the stamina one hands you free magic.
The three ceilings
| Goal | The trio | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Max health | Meat In Bread + Seal Meat Soup + Smoked Moose Meat | 325 HP, 109 stamina |
| Max stamina | Pancakes + Oatmeal + Oat Milk | 340 stamina, 115 HP, 85 Eitr |
| Max Eitr | Meatballs and Poteitr + Oven Pancake + Fish Soup | 315 Eitr, 109 HP, 54 stamina |
Read the middle row again. The maximum-stamina loadout in Valheim is not a trade: Oatmeal carries 85 Eitr alongside its 115 stamina, so the best running, building, and bow loadout in the game also lets you cast. Nothing in the health or Eitr columns gives you anything back like that.
Piquant Pie from the Ashlands substitutes for Smoked Moose Meat with no loss at all. Both sit at 105 health and 35 stamina, so if your Ashlands pantry is better stocked than your Deep North one, the 325 number holds.
How the slots actually behave
- Three different foods at once. The game will not let you double up, which is why variety matters more than finding one perfect dish.
- Each buff runs its own timer. Durations range from 10 minutes for raw berries to 30 for cooked dishes and 50 for feasts, and the bonus decays as the timer runs down rather than falling off a cliff at zero. Top up at roughly the halfway mark and your pools never dip.
- Food is also your only passive heal. The regeneration tick column below is the number most guides leave out, and it climbs from 1 HP in the Meadows to 7 in the Deep North.
- Eitr is strictly food-gated. Without a Mistlands dish or better in a slot your Eitr pool is zero, no matter what gear you are wearing.
What the ceiling looks like at each stage
The 325 number is useless before you reach the Deep North, so here is the best available total at every point in the run. These are the three highest-health dishes each biome unlocks, added up.
| Stage | Best health trio | HP |
|---|---|---|
| Black Forest | Deer Stew + Cooked Bear Meat + Minced Meat Sauce | 125 |
| Swamp | Serpent Stew + Cooked Serpent Meat + Sausages | 205 |
| Mountain | Wolf Skewer + Serpent Stew + Cooked Serpent Meat | 215 |
| Plains | Lox Meat Pie + Fish Wraps + Cooked Chicken Meat | 205 |
| Mistlands | Misthare Supreme + Meat Platter + Honey Glazed Chicken | 245 |
| Ashlands | Piquant Pie + Mashed Meat + Fiery Svinstew | 300 |
| Deep North | Meat In Bread + Seal Meat Soup + Smoked Moose Meat | 325 |
Notice the dip at Plains. A player who hunted a serpent in the Swamp walks into the Plains with a bigger health pool than the Plains itself can hand them, which is the strongest argument in the game for keeping a boat and a harpoon in the rotation. Serpent Stew at 80 health was the single best dish for two whole biomes.
The Eitr track is shorter and cleaner, because only three biomes produce it:
| Stage | Best Eitr trio | Eitr |
|---|---|---|
| Mistlands | Seeker Aspic + Yggdrasil Porridge + Stuffed Mushroom | 240 |
| Ashlands | Marinated Greens + Sparkling Shroomshake + Sizzling Berry Broth | 270 |
| Deep North | Meatballs and Poteitr + Oven Pancake + Fish Soup | 315 |
Every dish, biome by biome
Health, stamina, Eitr, buff duration, and health regenerated per tick. A 0 in the Eitr column means the dish gives none. Feasts are marked, and the Ashlands and Deep North blocks are the ones most food pages have not caught up on yet.
Meadows and Black Forest
| Food | HP | Stam | Eitr | Duration | Regen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberries | 7 | 20 | 0 | 10:00 | 1 |
| Honey | 8 | 35 | 0 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Mushroom | 15 | 15 | 0 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Grilled Neck Tail | 25 | 8 | 0 | 20:00 | 2 |
| Cooked Boar Meat | 30 | 10 | 0 | 20:00 | 2 |
| Cooked Deer Meat | 35 | 12 | 0 | 20:00 | 2 |
| Blueberries | 8 | 25 | 0 | 10:00 | 1 |
| Yellow Mushroom | 10 | 30 | 0 | 10:00 | 1 |
| Carrot | 10 | 32 | 0 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Queen's Jam | 14 | 40 | 0 | 20:00 | 2 |
| Carrot Soup | 15 | 45 | 0 | 25:00 | 2 |
| Boar Jerky | 23 | 23 | 0 | 30:00 | 2 |
| Pulled Bear | 37 | 16 | 0 | 30:00 | 3 |
| Cooked Bear Meat | 40 | 13 | 0 | 20:00 | 2 |
| Minced Meat Sauce | 40 | 13 | 0 | 25:00 | 3 |
| Deer Stew | 45 | 15 | 0 | 25:00 | 3 |
Carrot Soup at 45 stamina is the one early recipe worth farming for. It is nearly triple what a Grilled Neck Tail gives you, and the Black Forest is where sprinting away from things becomes a survival skill.
Swamp and Mountain
| Food | HP | Stam | Eitr | Duration | Regen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muckshake | 16 | 50 | 0 | 20:00 | 1 |
| Turnip Stew | 18 | 55 | 0 | 25:00 | 2 |
| Cooked Fish | 45 | 15 | 0 | 20:00 | 2 |
| Black Soup | 50 | 17 | 0 | 20:00 | 3 |
| Sausages | 55 | 18 | 0 | 25:00 | 3 |
| Cooked Serpent Meat | 70 | 23 | 0 | 25:00 | 3 |
| Serpent Stew | 80 | 26 | 0 | 30:00 | 4 |
| Onion | 13 | 40 | 0 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Onion Soup | 20 | 60 | 0 | 20:00 | 1 |
| Eyescream | 21 | 65 | 0 | 25:00 | 1 |
| Wolf Jerky | 33 | 33 | 0 | 30:00 | 3 |
| Cooked Wolf Meat | 45 | 15 | 0 | 20:00 | 3 |
| Wolf Skewer | 65 | 21 | 0 | 25:00 | 3 |
| Whole Roasted Meadow Boar (Feast) | 35 | 35 | 0 | 50:00 | 2 |
| Black Forest Buffet Platter (Feast) | 35 | 35 | 0 | 50:00 | 3 |
| Swamp Dweller's Delight (Feast) | 35 | 35 | 0 | 50:00 | 3 |
| Sailor's Bounty (Feast) | 45 | 45 | 0 | 50:00 | 3 |
Plains and Mistlands
| Food | HP | Stam | Eitr | Duration | Regen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudberries | 13 | 40 | 0 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Bread | 23 | 70 | 0 | 25:00 | 2 |
| Blood Pudding | 25 | 75 | 0 | 30:00 | 2 |
| Cooked Egg | 35 | 12 | 0 | 20:00 | 2 |
| Frosted Sweetbread | 43 | 43 | 0 | 30:00 | 2 |
| Cooked Lox Meat | 50 | 16 | 0 | 20:00 | 4 |
| Cooked Chicken Meat | 60 | 20 | 0 | 20:00 | 5 |
| Fish Wraps | 70 | 23 | 0 | 25:00 | 4 |
| Lox Meat Pie | 75 | 24 | 0 | 30:00 | 4 |
| Magecap | 25 | 25 | 25 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Jotun Puffs | 25 | 25 | 0 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Stuffed Mushroom | 25 | 12 | 75 | 25:00 | 3 |
| Salad | 26 | 80 | 0 | 25:00 | 3 |
| Yggdrasil Porridge | 27 | 13 | 80 | 25:00 | 3 |
| Seeker Aspic | 28 | 14 | 85 | 30:00 | 3 |
| Mushroom Omelette | 28 | 85 | 0 | 25:00 | 3 |
| Fish 'n' Bread | 30 | 90 | 0 | 30:00 | 3 |
| Cooked Seeker Meat | 60 | 20 | 0 | 20:00 | 5 |
| Cooked Hare Meat | 60 | 20 | 0 | 20:00 | 5 |
| Meat Platter | 80 | 26 | 0 | 30:00 | 5 |
| Honey Glazed Chicken | 80 | 26 | 0 | 30:00 | 5 |
| Misthare Supreme | 85 | 28 | 0 | 25:00 | 5 |
| Hearty Mountain Logger's Stew (Feast) | 45 | 45 | 0 | 50:00 | 3 |
| Plains Pie Picnic (Feast) | 55 | 55 | 0 | 50:00 | 4 |
Meat Platter and Honey Glazed Chicken are identical: 80 health, 26 stamina, 30 minutes, 5 HP per tick. Cook whichever your pantry supports and stop comparing them.
Ashlands
| Food | HP | Stam | Eitr | Duration | Regen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke Puff | 15 | 15 | 0 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Fiddlehead | 30 | 30 | 0 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Vineberry Cluster | 30 | 30 | 30 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Sizzling Berry Broth | 28 | 14 | 85 | 25:00 | 4 |
| Sparkling Shroomshake | 30 | 15 | 90 | 25:00 | 4 |
| Marinated Greens | 32 | 16 | 95 | 30:00 | 4 |
| Spicy Marmalade | 30 | 90 | 0 | 25:00 | 4 |
| Scorching Medley | 32 | 95 | 0 | 25:00 | 4 |
| Roasted Crust Pie | 34 | 100 | 0 | 30:00 | 4 |
| Cooked Asksvin Tail | 70 | 24 | 0 | 20:00 | 6 |
| Cooked Volture Meat | 70 | 24 | 0 | 20:00 | 6 |
| Cooked Bonemaw Meat | 90 | 30 | 0 | 25:00 | 6 |
| Fiery Svinstew | 95 | 32 | 0 | 25:00 | 6 |
| Mashed Meat | 100 | 34 | 0 | 25:00 | 6 |
| Piquant Pie | 105 | 35 | 0 | 30:00 | 6 |
| Mushrooms Galore á la Mistlands (Feast) | 65 | 65 | 33 | 50:00 | 5 |
Deep North
| Food | HP | Stam | Eitr | Duration | Regen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luminous Larva | 30 | 30 | 0 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Kale | 35 | 35 | 0 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Lingonberries | 35 | 35 | 0 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Poteitr | 35 | 35 | 35 | 15:00 | 1 |
| Oats | 33 | 33 | 0 | 30:00 | 3 |
| Smoked Fish | 30 | 16 | 95 | 25:00 | 5 |
| Baked Poteitr | 34 | 17 | 100 | 25:00 | 5 |
| Meatballs and Poteitr | 35 | 18 | 105 | 25:00 | 5 |
| Oven Pancake | 37 | 18 | 105 | 30:00 | 5 |
| Fish Soup | 37 | 18 | 105 | 30:00 | 5 |
| Kale Chips | 35 | 105 | 0 | 25:00 | 5 |
| Lingonberry Juice | 35 | 105 | 0 | 25:00 | 5 |
| Oat Milk | 37 | 110 | 0 | 25:00 | 5 |
| Pancakes | 39 | 115 | 0 | 30:00 | 5 |
| Oatmeal | 39 | 115 | 85 | 30:00 | 5 |
| Cooked Seal Blubber | 60 | 20 | 0 | 20:00 | 5 |
| Cooked Moose Meat | 80 | 27 | 0 | 20:00 | 5 |
| Smoked Moose Meat | 105 | 35 | 0 | 25:00 | 7 |
| Meat In Bread | 110 | 37 | 0 | 30:00 | 7 |
| Seal Meat Soup | 110 | 37 | 0 | 30:00 | 7 |
| Ashlands Gourmet Bowl (Feast) | 75 | 75 | 38 | 50:00 | 6 |
| Northern Morning Fare (Feast) | 85 | 85 | 43 | 50:00 | 7 |
Feasts, and the 50 minute argument for them
Every feast runs 50 minutes, against 30 for the best ordinary dish, and every feast splits its value evenly between health and stamina instead of leaning one way. Northern Morning Fare is the strongest: 85 health, 85 stamina, 43 Eitr, 7 HP per tick, for the better part of a full in-game day.
That makes feasts the wrong pick for a boss fight, where 85 health loses badly to Meat In Bread's 110, and the right pick for a building session or a long expedition where you want to stop thinking about the food bar. Three feasts together come to 245 health and 245 stamina, which is a genuinely comfortable all-rounder nothing else in the game produces.
They also feed a group. If you are running a server, one feast on the table covers everyone standing near it, which is the real reason to keep one cooking.
One warning about the numbers you will see elsewhere
Valheim's item database contains entries for uncooked pies, raw fish, and other intermediate items, and some of those carry food values higher than anything you can actually eat. Food lists that scrape the game files without filtering will show you a raw Lox Meat Pie beating the cooked one. Everything in the tables above is a dish or berry you can actually consume, current to patch 1.0.17 (October 6, 2026).
Source for the per-dish values: the Valheim Wiki food tables. The trio totals are ours, added from those values and checked against the wiki's own combination table, which independently gives 325 health and 109 stamina for the top three and 259 health plus 189 stamina for Meat In Bread, Seal Meat Soup, and Oatmeal.
Cooking it all
Progression on the kitchen side is simpler than the food list suggests. A Cauldron unlocks recipes, and its level gates the good ones: the top Deep North dishes need a level 7 Cauldron, which means the Smoker has to be built. A Fermenter handles meads and a few advanced items, a Food Preparation Table plus Stone Oven handle the pies and breads, and a Smoker handles the jerkies and the smoked meats and fish.
Plant a garden and a beehive the moment you can. Carrots, onions, turnips, barley, kale, and oats all come from farming, and the entire top half of the Deep North table is gated behind crops rather than behind combat.
For the biomes themselves, see the Deep North entry and our Deep North progression guide. For what to carry alongside the food, the best weapons guide and the boss guide pair with it directly, and the farming guide covers the crops half the Deep North menu depends on.
