Food consumption mechanics of monastery

[Vrighty]

Currently I have a village over 2700 ppl. I have 2 large monasteries One with 350 monks/sisters. Another with 500+ monks/sisters.
They both have there own kitchens and several halls to consume foods.

I have added each kitchen as a seperate "subbuilding". So I am sure I have enough storage for all food.
For food consumption (my biggest monastery) I have 24 slots for food.
First 6 are filled up with monastry meals. Next 6 with berries. Then I have a mixed it up with berries/bread(2x)/ cheese (2x)/Meals/fish (1x).

When checking the food my monks/sisters consume its for about 40% bread, 40% cheese. And I am overfilled with Monarch meals and berries they do not eat. Meanwhile, they are in the first slots.

In another topic from a dev I got told they first check the first slot. If there is food. They use it. then check second ect ect. Until they have had 2 meals.
Why are my first 12 slots being ignored most of the time? How can i make my monarch food consumption more efficient? So they eat the stuff I have plenty off? (berries and meals)

[arestelle]

They seem to have a preferential order for the kinds of foods they will eat, with berries at (near? in mine they seem to go for berries first) the top and monastic meals way at the bottom - IME they only eat those when there is only one other kind of food in the refectories so they have no other choice, so I just do berries and monastic meals

[Vrighty]

Originally posted by arestelle:

They seem to have a preferential order for the kinds of foods they will eat, with berries at (near? in mine they seem to go for berries first) the top and monastic meals way at the bottom - IME they only eat those when there is only one other kind of food in the refectories so they have no other choice, so I just do berries and monastic meals

Tried that before. Ben then i ran out of meals and berries wayyy to fast. Does different food give a specific satisfation time?

[arestelle]

not that I have noticed, but I have noticed that it can take a relatively high proportion of monastic kitchens to keep the refectory stocked with meals. haven't had trouble with berries as I just add more berry plots if I notice it not keeping up, or even not gaining in good weather. a significant majority of my monastics are herbalists or foragers, ~10% working kitchens and only 1-2 scriptoriums and a handful of other Brother/Sister level stuff, which when I promote people to those I'll bring in a wave of immigrants to re-fill the foragers & herbalists