DayZ field wiki · Survive
Food and cooking
Calories before heroics
Short answer
Cans need a tool. Meat needs fire. Fruit is free. Hoarding ten steaks is how you die slow.
Also: cooking · food · cans
How it works
A knife, can opener, or screwdriver is more valuable than a second pistol. Gardens beat a heroic run on an empty stomach.
What to do
Don't eat raw meat unless you like the toilet event. Fires are light, smoke, and a dinner bell — use them, then move.
Don't
Don't hoard. Rot happens. Eat before you push a town.