Food has always played an important role in The Elder Scrolls series, particularly the most recent title in the franchise, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, as they provide easy ways to restore health and stamina in addition to sometimes granting beneficial effects that linger for a few minutes.
These tasty consumable items come in many different shapes and sizes, and there are specific ones that the Dragonborn should keep an eye out for, depending on what they need. Before gorging, however, keep in mind that the effects of food (besides restoring health and stamina) do not stack and only 1 can be active at a time.
All edibles can be classified into 3 main categories: health-oriented, stamina-oriented, and effect-oriented, though, there is quite a bit of overlap between each group, meaning that some foods are simply better than others overall. There are also a bunch of lackluster consumable items that still have benefits, albeit ones that pale in comparison to more delicious treats, which means that players should gauge whether a food is worth the hit to one's carrying capacity.
All Foods That Restore Health
Health-restoring foods are easily the most common kind of edible consumable in the game and offer the most direct method of preserving one's life in dire circumstances. If the Dragonborn is out of health potions, scarfing down a ton of foods can literally save one's life, thanks to being able to indulge while in the game's menu.
Here Are All Of The Foods That Restore Health
- Horker and Ash Yam Stew [Dragonborn DLC] - Restores 16 health (and 12 stamina)
- Horker Stew - Restores 15 health (and 15 stamina as well as restores 1 health every second for 720 seconds)
- Chicken Dumpling [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 15 health
- Eidar Cheese Wheel - Restores 15 health
- Goat Cheese Wheel - Restores 15 health
- Sliced Eidar Cheese - Restores 15 health
- Sliced Goat Cheese - Restores 15 health
- Cooked Boar Meat [Dragonborn DLC] - Restores 12 health
- Steamed Mudcrab Legs [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 12 health
- Jazbay Crostata [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 1o health (and increases max magicka by 4 for 60 seconds)
- Snowberry Crostata [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 10 health (and increases fire resistance by 4% for 60 seconds)
- Apple Cabbage Stew - Restores 10 health (and 15 stamina)
- Mammoth Cheese Bowl - Restores 10 health (and 15 stamina)
- Cabbage Potato Soup - Restores 10 health (and 10 stamina)
- Clam Chowder [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 10 health (and 10 stamina)
- Potato Soup [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 10 health (and 10 stamina)
- Tomato Soup - Restores 10 health (and 10 stamina)
- Cabbage Soup - Restores 10 health (and 8 stamina)
- Long Taffy Treat - Restores 10 health (and 5 stamina)
- Apple Pie - Restores 10 health
- Boiled Creme Treat - Restores 10 health
- Cooked Beef - Restores 10 health
- Horker Loaf - Restores 10 health
- Horse Haunch - Restores 10 health
- Leg of Goat Roast - Restores 10 health
- Mammoth Steak - Restores 10 health
- Grilled Leeks - Restores 6 health
- Elsweyr Fondue - Restores 5 health (and increases max magicka by 100 as well as increases magicka regeneration by 25 points per second, both for 720 seconds)
- Lavender Dumpling [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 5 health (and increases max magicka by 10 as well as increases magicka resistance by 10%, both for 60 seconds)
- Apple Dumpling [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 5 health (and increases bow damage by 5% for 60 seconds)
- Baked Potato - Restores 5 health
- Fresh Meat - Restores 5 health
- Grilled Chicken Breast - Restores 5 health
- Honey Nut Treat - Restores 5 health
- Mammoth Snout - Restores 5 health
- Pheasant Roast - Restores 5 health
- Rabbit Haunch - Restores 5 health
- Salmon Steak - Restores 5 health
- Seared Slaughterfish - Restores 5 health
- Spiced Beef - Restores 5 health
- Sweet Roll - Restores 5 health
- Venison Chop - Restores 5 health
- Potato Bread [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 3 health
- Juniper Berry Crostata [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 2 health (and restores 2 health every second for 60 seconds)
- Garlic Bread [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 2 health (and cures all diseases)
- Braided Bread [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 2 health (and increases carrying capacity by 5 for 60 seconds)
- Ash Hopper Leg [Dragonborn DLC] - Restores 2 health
- Ash Hopper Meat [Dragonborn DLC] - Restores 2 health
- Boar Meat [Dragonborn DLC] - Restores 2 health
- Bread - Restores 2 health
- Butter - Restores 2 health
- Charred Skeaver Meat - Restores 2 health
- Chicken Breast - Restores 2 health
- Dog Meat - Restores 2 health
- Green Apple - Restores 2 health
- Honey - Restores 2 health
- Horse Meat - Restores 2 health
- Jug of Milk [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 2 health
- Leg of Goat - Restores 2 health
- Pheasant Breast - Restores 2 health
- Raw Beef - Restores 2 health
- Raw Rabbit Leg - Restores 2 health
- Red Apple - Restores 2 health
- Salmon Meat - Restores 2 health
- Venison - Restores 2 health
- Ash Yam [Dragonborn DLC] - Restores 1 health
- Cabbage - Restores 1 health
- Carrot - Restores 1 health
- Clam Meat - Restores 1 health
- Eidar Cheese Wedge - Restores 1 health
- Goat Cheese Wedge - Restores 1 health
- Gourd - Restores 1 health
- Horker Meat - Restores 1 health
- Leek - Restores 1 health
- Mudcrab Legs - Restores 1 health
- Potato - Restores 1 health
- Sack of Flour - Restores 1 health
- Tomato - Restores 1 health
All Foods That Restore Stamina
Food items that are the best at helping the Dragonborn refill their green bar of stamina usually take the form of liquids, like drinks and soups. Warriors, and other open-combat melee builds, should seek these out in particular in order to help them deliver even more devastating power attacks and other various endurance-heavy feats.
Here Are All Of The Foods That Restore Stamina
- Spiced Wine - Restores 25 stamina (and damages stamina regeneration by 30 points per second for 50 seconds)
- Mead with Juniper Berry - Restores 20 stamina (and damages stamina regeneration by 30 points per second for 40 seconds)
- Horker Stew - Restores 15 stamina (and 15 health as well as restores 1 health every second for 720 seconds)
- Apple Cabbage Stew - Restores 15 stamina (and 10 health)
- Mammoth Cheese Bowl - Restores 15 stamina (and 10 health)
- Venison Stew - Restores 15 stamina (and restores 1 health, as well as 1 stamina, every second for 720 seconds)
- Horker and Ash Yam Stew [Dragonborn DLC] - Restores 12 stamina (and 16 health)
- Cabbage Potato Soup - Restores 10 stamina (and 10 health)
- Clam Chowder [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 10 stamina (and 10 health)
- Potato Soup [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 10 stamina (and 10 health)
- Tomato Soup - Restores 10 stamina (and 10 health)
- Cabbage Soup - Restores 8 stamina (and 10 health)
- Long Taffy Treat - Restores 5 stamina (and 10 health)
All Foods That Have Special Effects
While many of the foods that offer effects besides restoring health or stamina get easily outclassed by potions, these edible consumables are often easier to make and discover throughout the world. However, some even possess traits that cannot be received by other means and should be saved for a special occasion instead of being eaten or drank wantonly. Mages, in particular, should seek out a few of these, as this food group offers a few magicka-related boons.
Here Are All Of The Foods That Have Special Effects
- Juniper Berry Crostata [Hearthfire DLC] - Restores 2 health every second for 60 seconds (and restores 2 health)
- Venison Stew - Restores 1 health, as well as 1 stamina, every second for 720 seconds (and restores 15 stamina)
- Vegetable Soup - Restores 1 health, as well as 1 stamina, every second for 720 seconds
- Horker Stew - Restores 1 health every second for 720 seconds (and restores 15 health as well as 15 stamina)
- Elsweyr Fondue - Increases max magicka by 100 as well as increases magicka regeneration by 25 points per second, both for 720 seconds (and restores 5 health)
- Soul Husk [Dawnguard DLC] - Increases magicka resistance by 10% for 10 seconds and halts the soul drain effect within the Soul Cairn
- Homecooked Meal [Hearthfire DLC] - Increases health, stamina, and magicka regeneration by 25% for 600 seconds
- Beef Stew - Increases max stamina by 25 and restores 2 stamina every second, both for 720 seconds
- Jazbay Crostata [Hearthfire DLC] - Increases max magicka by 4 for 60 seconds (and restores 1o health)
- Lavender Dumpling [Hearthfire DLC] - Increases max magicka by 10 as well as increases magicka resistance by 10%, both for 60 seconds (and restores 5 health)
- Snowberry Crostata [Hearthfire DLC] - Increases fire resistance by 4% for 60 seconds (and restores 10 health)
- Spiced Wine - Damages stamina regeneration by 30 points per second for 50 seconds (and restores 25 stamina)
- Mead with Juniper Berry - Damages stamina regeneration by 30 points per second for 40 seconds (and restores 20 stamina)
- Garlic Bread [Hearthfire DLC] - Cures all diseases (and restores 2 health)
- Braided Bread [Hearthfire DLC] - Increases carrying capacity by 5 for 60 seconds (and restores 2 health)
- Apple Dumpling [Hearthfire DLC] - Increases bow damage by 5% for 60 seconds (and restores 5 health)