This guide shows the different food production chains in the game and compares them with each other. In short:

• Least space: Berry Meal
  
• Best worker ratio: Luxury Meal
  
• Most Colony Points: New World Meal, Ricemeal, FooFoo

When starting a new colony you always start with Berry Meal. Nothing wrong with sticking to it but after reading this guide you might want to switch to a different food source.

When switching food production make sure to stop producing the other ones. No need to waste your workforce and ingredients like berries and bread are used for multiple meals.

The worker ratios below are the maximum number of colonists without starving. With a real colony you almost always want to produce more food than that to allow expanding and hiring more colonists. When scaling up take the worker ratios as guidelines only, it can always happen that you need one more or one less of a specific type.

Berry Meal is the only food already available at the start of a colony. It is also the most easy one to do, just place down berry farmer jobs. The recommended size for berry farms are either 3x7 or 5x5 areas.

Ratio: 1 + 3
One worker feeds about three more colonists. 50 berry farmers can feed a colony of up to 200-220 colonists.

Pro

• no research required
  
• very space efficient

Con

• lowest colony points value
  
• lowest worker to colony size ratio

Bread Meal is available very eary through research. To be honest it is a bit disappointing as food source. Only little improvement over berries but a lot more complex to set up and all other foods are better.

Ratio: 1 + 4
One worker feeds about four more colonists. 50 workers can feed a colony of up to 240-250 colonists.

Job Distribution for 50 workers

• 19x Wheat Farmer
  
• 13x Berry Farmer
  
• 6x Grinder
  
• 6x Baker
  
• 4x Water Gatherer
  
• 1x Forester
  
• 1x Woodcutter

Pro
Nothing that really stands out. Bread is more useful as ingredient for the other meals.

Con

• second lowest colony points value
  
• not much gain compared to Berry Meal

Luxury Meals is the best food in the game in terms of efficiency. You can feed the most colonists with it and get a very good colony points value along side. And hey, you get to see the most variety of jobs and items in the game.

Ratio: 1 + 5
One worker feeds five more colonists. 50 workers can feed a colony of up to 300 colonists.

Job Distribution for 50 workers

• 11x Barley Farmer
  
• 7x Wheat Farmer
  
• 5x Beekeeper
  
• 5x Cabbage Farmer
  
• 4x Water Gatherer
  
• 4x Chicken Farmer
  
• 3x Grinder
  
• 3x Baker
  
• 3x Cook
  
• 2x Berry Farmer
  
• 1x Forester
  
• 1x Woodcutter
  
• 1x Olive Farmer

Pro

• most efficient food in terms of workers/resources
  
• very good colony points value
  
• overall best food

Con

• can feel a bit complex to set up

Perpetual Stew. Uh, yes, it still does exist. It is a close follower to luxury meals but stays behind in every aspect. Sadly there is no reason to ever produce this food. Unless you love fishing and just need some excuse to have a fish production.

Ratio: 1 + 4.5
One worker feeds four more colonists. 50 workers can feed a colony of up to 270-280 colonists.

Job Distribution for 50 workers

• 11x Wheat Farmer
  
• 10x Berry Farmer
  
• 8x Fisherman
  
• 6x Water Gatherer
  
• 5x Grinder
  
• 4x Cook
  
• 3x Baker
  
• 1x Forester
  
• 1x Woodcutter
  
• 1x Olive Farmer

Pro

• so long and thanks for all the fish, I guess?

Con

• everything. Really, just go for luxury meals instead

Rice Meal, FooFoo and New World Meal are very similar: They all are only available in their respective biome. The ready meal can be traded and consumed anywhere, of course. They all have the same colony points value of 90, which is the highest for food.

Ratio: 1 + 4.5
One worker feeds four to five more colonists. 50 workers can feed a colony of up to 270-280 colonists.

Pro

• highest colony points value
  
• very good worker effectiveness

Job Distribution for 50 workers

• 20x Rice Farmer
  
• 15x Cabbage Farmer
  
• 7x Barley Farmer
  
• 2x Cook
  
• 2x Chicken Farmer

Job Distribution for 50 workers

• 22x Banana Farmer
  
• 18x Cassava Farmer
  
• 7x Water Gatherer
  
• 3x Grinder

Job Distribution for 50 workers

• 20x Tomato Farmer
  
• 20x Potato Farmer
  
• 6x Barley Farmer
  
• 2x Cook
  
• 2x Chicken Farmer