What is the easiest/cheapest food i can find/buy?

[-Floki-]

I am struggling with hunger bar in survival mode. Can someone explain what should i eat because it's not enough

[QuaestComm]

Have you been cooking your food? Cooking food greatly increases its ability to sate your appetite - for this reason, you may want to carry a Campfire on your person so you can cook food on the go.

As far as food sources go, you have several options:

1. Hunt monsters for their meat. Though conventional weapons can still yield raw meat, you will get meat most frequently if you land the killing blow using a bow or a spear-type throwable (most bows and the low-tier throwing spears, Hunting Spears, are crafted at a Foraging Table and its upgraded version). Once you've reached the middle of the tech progression, you can go fishing to obtain a more reliable supply of raw protein.
   
2. Tear down wild plants for their seeds, then use the seeds to start a farm (wild plants will not grow on their own, so you can only harvest them once). If necessary, sleep in a sleeping bag or bed to pause hunger depletion between waterings and harvests (beds can be crafted at a Wooden Workbench). Once you have unlocked access to the Outpost, you can also buy farm animal eggs and hatch them to gain alternate food sources (and ingredients for advanced cooking).
   
3. Buy food from merchants that you encounter. Once you have unlocked access to the Outpost, you can also buy food from Infinity Express; alternately, you can use the Colony Deeds bought at Frogg Furnishing to summon merchants anywhere you can house tenants.

[Fantabulor]

Chocolate is pretty cheap if you buy it from vending machines. Vending machines can be found on the new space stations. Spiky fruit found on arid planets can be pretty handy for food.

You should start a farm. Rice can be cooked into decent food just from a basic campfire, so is a somewhat reliable food source. Uncooked food, like fruit/ vegetables don't fill the hunger bar by much in general, so you should always try to cook your food. Another plus side to rice, in it's raw form, you can stack it and it doesn't spoil so you can bring a supply and cook it on the go, or have a storage back at your home.

If you need food while underground, bring a bow and a campfire(or the materials to make one). Enemies killed with a bow/ crossbow have an increased chance to drop meat and other materials, so you can hunt for food if you're in a pinch, just remember to cook the meat. The only meat you can eat without getting sick is fish but it still doesn't fill you up by much.

Just remember, basic food, like boiled rice and cooked meat are fine, but more complex recipes fill your hunger bar by more and often give helpful buffs!

[esthergray]

When you can eventually get enough seeds to farm the ingredients for ultimate juice you can make it in the kitchen. It gives the most effects and fills your hungar bar. Until then the rusty pasty is best I think. It's raw meat, bolt bulb and diodia. Cook it in the kitchen. You may have to unlock the recipes though.

[cgoose500]

Just do rice to start off with. You only have to plant it once.

[MysticMalevolence]

Cocoa and rice can stack when raw, so you can craft them into food as you need it and keep your inventory cleaner.

[☽.Silver Wolfe.☾]

If you have some pixels and access to the outpost, canned goods from Infinity Express helps in the start too, like rice.

[VILLAGE PILLAGE ⊕]

Infinity Express canned food will do if you have pixels.

[Chizzler]

Rice, Mushrooms and Cocoa as others have said, all stack uncooked and don't spoil. Infinity Express sells canned food, which lasts ages. Mechants you find on planets often sell them too, at a much reduced price. Stock up when you find one, and you won't need to splash out at the store.