Summary
The hardcore survival simSCUMis now out in 1.0, after several years in early access. For the uninitiated,SCUMtakes its survival seriously, and food is much more than just a hunger bar to be concerned with. The game prioritizes realism wherever possible, and feeding a character requires a balance of primary nutrients, including protein, Carbohydrates, and Healthy Fats. There are also micronutrients (Vitamins and Minerals) to think about, and on top of that, these stats all go toward determininghow a character’s physical stats develop.
For characters who want to build their strength, consuming high-protein foods is the best way to build muscle quickly. However, players need to ensure they balance their intake of protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and consider their water and stamina needs, so it’s not possible to bulk up on protein and call it a day without suffering in other areas. There are other ways to build muscle at a faster rate, like walking with more item weight in the player’s inventory. These all need nutrients to be at the right level to be effective, though.
That means that food is an important system for all players. There are an enormous number of food types inSCUM, from raw ingredients to canned food to cooked meals that the players can craft. A lot of cooking will be done at the player’s base, but portable food is also something to think about for extended looting trips. These foods are some of the best forbuilding muscle inSCUMwhile keeping balanced stats, including both the best protein return and foods that are easy to find, keep without perishing, or are convenient to carry.
10Rabbit Meat
Small Game
Rabbit is one of the easiest meats to obtain in the game, and any player can grill it into a quick meal without any pre-requisite cooking skills. Rabbits are easy to hunt, and the meat can be purchased from the Saloon trader as a backup.
Players probably just want to rely on anatural supply from hunting, though, as rabbit meat goes into fewer of the more complex later cooking recipes than other animal meat types.
9Bear Steaks
Some Days You Eat The Bear
Bear Steaks aren’t too great on their own, but theycan be cookedinto a variety of great recipes, and players get a lot of meat at a time from carving a bear. The meat can be purchased at Saloon traders for players who don’t want to risk the hunt.
Bear Meat also provides some fats as well as protein, so it can be used to balance nutritional needs. Players can use other red meat steaks like wolf, deer, goat, and others in similar recipes too.
8Chicken Meat
Finger Lickin'
The meat of more docile creatures like chickens is easy to get hold of inSCUM. Whether players get the meat from the source orbuy it from the Saloon, chicken meat can be quickly grilled into a great protein source, and goes into some more complicated recipes too. Any player can grill chicken without any pre-requisite cooking skills, so it’s a good go-to for starters.
7Pancakes
Basic Cooking
There are some really useful cooking recipes inSCUM, and pancakes arean easy and basic place to start. They also have the advantage of keeping well and being easy to carry around.
Pancake’s stats can vary as optional ingredients like nuts and sugar can be added to balance nutritional sources across protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The basic recipe needs flour, eggs, milk, water, and baking soda, as well as a pan and an oven range to cook it on.
6Tuna MREs
Survival Diet
MREs are a go-to for survivalists, and they can be a convenient protein source inSCUM, since players can basically carry them around or store them indefinitely. Tuna MREs are the most balanced protein source out of the MREs, and provide more micronutrients and less fat than others.
Beef Stew MREs are also a decent protein source with slightly more fat, but Cheeseburger MREs come with a ton of fat content as well as protein. MREs arefound as random lootor purchased from the Armory trader.
5Canned Sardines
Portable Protein Snack
While they have a very specific source, canned sardines are a very good portable meal of protein and energy. They can always be found at the fish factory in Map Square A1, so there’sa reliable loot source, even if it’s only one location. They’re lighter and more efficient for protein than an MRE, so don’t pass up canned fish if you want to keep building muscle.
4Canned Tuna
Tuna Surprise
Canned tuna is very similar to canned sardines. They’re even found in the same place in the fish factory. The tuna variety has less protein and energy per portion, but there are four portions in a can, so it’s even more efficient as a portable meal than the sardines.
The canned tuna and canned sardines are the best processed, pre-packaged foods that players can find if they want to keep protein topped up.
3Grilled Poultry
Kill It & Grill It
Grilled poultry can be made with any fowl meat: chicken, goose, duck, or pheasant. The stats can vary depending on the meat used (the breakdown above is based on chicken), but grilled poultry is a simple cooking recipe that any player can create.
Players just need a grill or BBQ to make grilled poultry, and only the meat is required for the recipe, though players can season the meat with salt and pepper too. Once players have better cooking skills, there are more complex recipes that can be made with chicken and poultry, but simply grilling the meat remains one of the quickest and most efficient options.
2Mixed Skewer
Mixed Ingredients
The mixed skewer is one of the most versatile recipes inSCUMin terms of the ingredients players can use to make it. Any kind of meat steak can be used, along with a large variety of vegetables, to create a skewer with the perfect balance of protein with other nutrients.
Forplayers who are foraging for whatever they can find, this recipe forgoes the need to find specific meats, veg, or pre-packaged ingredients from traders or random loot.
1Balkan Ratatouille
Hearty Stew
The Balkan Ratatouille is one of the more complex recipes in the game, but it can satisfy both protein and other dietary needs for some time. Players can use any meat steak for the meal, but they also need the specific ingredients of rice, onion, pepper, zucchini, carrot, and tomato, as well as water to boil them all in.
The Balkan Ratatouille needs at least the basic cooking skill to make, and it’s more of a meal to prepare for a journey than to carry along on the road. With that said, it can be loaded with protein and other good nutrients.
