Minecraft has plenty of foods to try, but did you know some provide hidden benefits beyond what the hunger bar describes? Today, we delve into the hidden mechanics of hunger and answer “what is Minecraft hunger saturation?”
What is Minecraft Hunger Saturation?
Alongside the visible hunger bar is a hidden mechanic called saturation, which every food provides a different amount of. This hidden saturation then determines how long a player has before their hunger starts depleting again. While that may lead some to think of a timer, it is better described as a completely separate hunger bar that depletes first before the one you can see.
Each food item has a set amount of saturation that it provides, which is why some players may have noticed that they need to eat far more often when consuming melon slices compared to something like cooked porkchops.
Best Saturation Foods
The non-stew-based foods that provide the most saturation are golden carrots at 14.4 and cooked porkchops and steak at 12.8. This is why golden carrots are considered one of the best late-game foods despite only restoring six hunger points compared to the steak and porkchops, which restore eight. A player who restores their hunger as soon as it starts depleting will get more mileage out of the golden carrots.
However, if taking stew into account, suspicious stew made with blue orchid or dandelion is the uncontested best food in the game for both hunger and saturation. This is because it is the sole source of the saturation status effect, which reduces the need for eating. Taking the buff into account, a single suspicious stew restores 13 hunger points and 21.2 saturation. To say you are full after eating one of those is a complete understatement! The only downside is that they do not stack. Hopefully, one day we will see Mojang expand the availability of the saturation status effect to other items or even potions. But, for now, it remains exclusive.
