Energy is make or break in Stardew Valley. From day one, you’ll have to manage your energy level while getting your daily activities done. In the beginning, it can be a struggle to keep energized, luckily there are some great foods that can keep you going. You’ll discover new high energy recipes as you grow your farm, wealth, and relationships.
I have made a list of the top ten best high energy foods that I keep in my inventory. These dishes can all eventually be made by you as you grow your relationships and level up in skill. A lot of these dishes can be found for sale, occasionally at Krobus’ Shop or at Gus’ Saloon. If you’re feeling lucky, you might even rummage some of these dishes from the trash!
However you get your hands on these dishes, at least you’ll be able to stay energized. Happy eating!
10) Field Snack
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Keep a stack of these around for an easy energy boost early on!
The first time I ever played Stardew Valley, I felt like field snacks were sort of worthless because they don’t offer that much energy. I honestly feel like that was so wrong! In the beginning, you should be chopping down a ton of trees for two reasons: wood and foraging skill. While chopping down trees, you will lose energy quickly, but you will also gain a ton of maple seeds, acorns and pinecones.
Later in the game you should save these seeds for a tree farm, however, at the start? Turn those seeds into field snacks!! They aren’t worth a ton of energy, but life on the farm is hard and you’re probably broke. Until you are a little bit stronger and making some gold every day, field snacks are a great way to gain some energy.
Recipe
(1) maple seed, (1) acorn, (1) pinecone
Gain recipe by reaching level one foraging.
Why Is It Great?
Basically the first food you will learn to craft/cook.
Uses seeds that you already have around from chopping trees.
Can be found inside trash cans around Pelican Town.
Keeping a stack early on, and staying energized is easy.
Field Snack Stats
45 energy
20 health
9) Sashimi
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Use the excess fish you catch to keep yourself energized!
Sashimi is my absolute favorite use of all the worthless fish I catch while leveling up in fishing. It can be made with literally any fish you catch, including anything you get in the crab pots. It doesn’t provide any buffs, but it does provide good energy for how simple it is to make.
Linus will send you the recipe after you’ve reached three hearts of friendship with him. Sashimi is also loved by Sebastian, so this dish is great for friendships, on top of energy. It can also be sold for a profit if you use fish worth less than 75g. Once you’re able to make higher energy foods, sell any sashimi you make for a profit!
Recipe
(1) any fish
Receive recipe in the mail from Linus after reaching three friendship hearts.
Why Is It Great?
Turn poor quality fish into energy and gold.
After you befriend Linus, he will send you sashimi regularly.
Turn literally any fish into sashimi.
Appears for sale sometimes in Krobus’ shop and at Gus' Saloon.
Can be found in the Saloon trash can when it’s the dish of the day.
Sashimi Stats
75 energy
33 health
8) Cheese
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Cheese is a great source of energy early on, but you also might want to sell it for gold!
Cheese is an amazing way to get energy once you have raised a few cows into adults. One basic quality cheese will offer you 125 energy, which is almost half of your energy starting out. If you love on your cows every day, you will raise your friendship with them quickly. Raising your cow’s friendship will give you higher quality milk, which will make you higher quality cheese.
The only downside is that cheese is worth a decent amount of gold. If you enjoy raising animals, it’s worth raising a few as soon as you can. That way you can turn your daily milk into cheese, then sell half and keep the other half for energy!
Recipe
(1) milk any quality
The crafting recipe for the cheese press is received at farming level six.
Receive a cheese press when you complete the "animal bundle" in the Community Center.
Why Is It Great?
High energy that scales up depending on quality.
Cows produce milk daily.
Easy to keep on hand once you have cows and a cheese press.
No recipe required.
Cheese Stats
Basic quality: 125 energy, 56 health
Silver quality: 175 energy, 78 health
Gold quality: 225 energy, 101 health
Iridium quality: 325 energy, 146 health
7) Bean Hotpot
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Be sure to eat your greens for extra energy!
Even in Stardew Valley, it’s important to eat your greens. Bean hotpot is a seriously easy way to stay energized. It uses very minimal ingredients. You can grow green beans in spring of Year One, and the recipe is easy to gain through friendship.
Bean hotpot not only offers a decent amount of energy, it also has buffs for energy and magnetism. This combination makes bean hotpot the perfect dish to take foraging, farming, or mining.
Recipe
(2) green beans
Receive in the mail from Clint after reaching seven friendship hearts.
Why Is It Great?
High energy for only using (2) green beans.
Buffs for energy and magnetism.
May appear for sale in Krobus’ shop and at Gus' Saloon.
Can be found in theSaloon trash can when it’s the dish of the day.
Can generate a profit if using lowest quality ingredients.
Bean Hotpot Stats
125 energy
56 health
(+30) max energy for 7m
(+32) magnetism for 7m
6) Roasted Hazelnuts
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Be sure to hold on to any low-quality hazelnuts you forage!
Roasted hazelnuts are one of the perfect fall meals. Hazelnuts are incredibly easy to forage all fall long. You will find them all over the ground all season long, throughout all of Stardew. You can also shake them from maple trees on days 15-28 of Fall.
You won’t learn the recipe until Year 2, so I always save a ton of hazelnuts from my first fall to give myself a head start. They are one of my favorite, easy dishes to keep on hand for energy.
Recipe
(3) hazelnuts
Learn from The Queen of Sauce: 28 Summer, Year 2
Why Is It Great?
High energy without taking any energy to obtain ingredients.
Hazelnuts can be found on the ground all over the map in the fall.
Hazelnuts can be shaken from maple trees days 15-28 of Fall.
Can be sold for a profit.
Roasted Hazelnut Stats
175 energy
78 health
5) Glazed Yams
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Celebrate autumn with this sweet and energizing dish!
Glazed yams are my perfect in-game fall meal. They are extremely easy to make and use minimal ingredients. You will learn the recipe from the Queen of Sauce towards the end of the first fall. If you plant crops of yams earlier in the season, you should have plenty to sell and keep for glazed yams. Sugar can be bought from Pierre’s or milled from beets.
Glazed yams are not only high in energy, but they are also loved by Pam and Lewis. They are also liked by almost all the villagers, so they are a great way to keep your energy up and make friends.
Recipe
(1) yam, (1) sugar
Learn from The Queen of Sauce: 21 Fall, Year 1.
Why Is It Great?
Extremely easy way to gain energy using minimal ingredients.
May appear for sale in Krobus’ shop and at Gus' Saloon.
Can be found in the' Saloon trash can when it’s the dish of the day.
Loved by Pam and Lewis.
Glazed Yams Stats
200 energy
90 health
4) Maple Bar
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It's hard to say no to a donut that provides so much energy!
First, it’s a donut. I feel like I could stop here, but this donut is different. This is a donut you don’t have to feel bad about eating because it’s going to load you up on energy. Not only that, but it provides THREE buffs. These buffs will raise your tool proficiency, which will reduce how much energy you use on activities.
You won’t learn the recipe until Year 2, so by then you should have a ton of trees tapped. If you’ve stocked up on maple syrup this entire time, then you’ll be ready with resources once you learn the recipe. Seriously, who doesn’t love a donut?!
Recipe
(1) maple syrup, (1) sugar, (1) wheat flour
Learn from The Queen of Sauce: 14 Summer, Year 2.
Why Is It Great?
Extremely high energy.
Great buffs that will raise your tool proficiency.
You can produce all of the ingredients on your farm.
Maple Bar Stats
225 energy
101 health
(+1) farming for 16m47s
(+1) fishing for 16m47s
(+1) mining for 16m47s
3) Complete Breakfast
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Even in Stardew Valley, breakfast is super important!
Just like in real life, the best way to start your day is with a complete breakfast. It’s the perfect dish for a day of farming, thanks to the energy and buffs it provides. The ingredients are everything you will have available on a fully functioning farm. If you are super into farming, this dish is perfect!
Alex also loves the complete breakfast, so it’s a great way to romance him. If you choose to marry him, on certain days, he will give you one ingredient needed to make this dish. Win-win?
Learn recipe from The Queen of Sauce: 21 Spring, Year 2.
Why Is It Great?
Very high energy.
Great buffs for farming all day.
Can appear for sale at Krobus’ shop and at Gus' Saloon.
Can be found in the Saloon trash can when it’s the dish of the day.
Complete Breakfast Stats
200 energy
90 health
(+2) farming for 7m
(+50) max energy for 7m
2) Red Plate
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Enjoy this gorgeous dish to stay energized during the summer.
Red plate is a beautiful plate of red summer vegetables. As in real life, vegetables are extremely good for you in Stardew Valley. This dish uses minimal ingredients and offers a ton of energy, including a max energy buff.
It can be a difficult recipe to obtain. Red cabbage seeds aren’t available to buy until Year 2 and you must be very good friends with Emily to receive the recipe. This recipe is a keeper and worth waiting for.
Recipe
(1) red cabbage, (1) radish
Receive in the mail from Emily after reaching seven friendship hearts.
Why Is It Great?
Extremely high energy.
Provides a max energy buff.
It will make a profit if using the lowest quality ingredients.
Can appear for sale at Krobus’ shop and at Gus' Saloon.
Can be found in the Saloon trash can when it’s the dish of the day.
Red Plate Stats
240 energy
108 health
(+50) max energy for 3m30s
1) Lobster Bisque
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If you're in a pinch with fishing, take some lobster bisque with you to boost your fishing skill for an entire day!
Lobster bisque is the perfect dish for a ton of energy and a terrific fishing buff. I love fishing in games, but fishing in Stardew Valley is extremely hard. I have never played a game where I had a harder time fishing. Once you have crab pots going, it’s easy to catch lobsters. If you already have cows by this point, it will be easy to keep a stock of bisque going.
Lobster bisque is easy to make since it utilizes the crab pot, and gives you an amazing fishing buff. In my opinion, this dish is literally perfect and is a must-make not only for a ton of energy but also for the fishing buff..
Recipe
(1) lobster, (1) milk
Receive in the mail from Willy after reaching 9 friendship hearts.
Learn recipe from The Queen of Sauce: 14 Winter, Year 2
Amy is a crazy cat lady and pop culture expert. She spends her time wandering wastelands, killing irradiated creatures and searching for the meaning of life in Stardew Valley.
