One of the easiest ways to increase your score in Don’t Let It Starve is by creating food combos. While there isn’t currently an achievement for discovering every combination, learning them is still worth your time because they can provide valuable score bonuses, food bonuses, and even extra coins.
Many new players focus entirely on feeding their creature and surviving for as long as possible, but experienced players know that maximizing combos is the key to earning higher scores. If you’re trying to climb the leaderboard or simply want to get more value out of every run, this guide covers every known food combination in the game.
Don’t Let It Starve Cooking Recipes – Food Bonus Combos
These combinations provide a food bonus when successfully created. They’re useful for keeping your creature fed while also improving your overall score multiplier.
Barbecue
Ingredients:
- Sausage
- Bacon
- Beef
This is one of the most fitting combinations in the game, combining three different meat-based ingredients into a hearty barbecue meal. If you have access to all three ingredients, it’s usually worth creating this combo instead of using the items separately.
Salad
Ingredients:
- Pickle
- Olive
- Pepper
For players looking to use some of the vegetable ingredients efficiently, Salad is a simple and reliable combo. It also helps clear ingredients that are sometimes less useful on their own.
Simple Meal
Ingredients:
- Rice
- Pepper
- Beef
As the name suggests, this is a straightforward meal that combines ingredients from multiple food categories. It’s a solid combo that you’ll naturally encounter while experimenting with recipes.
Death
Ingredients:
- Sausage
- Sausage
- Sausage
Despite the dramatic name, this combo is simply created by combining three sausages together. It’s one of the easiest special recipes to remember because every ingredient is identical.
Bowl of Rice
Ingredients:
- Rice
- Rice
- Rice
If your run provides an abundance of rice, turning three portions into a Bowl of Rice is usually better than using them individually.
Whole Cow
Ingredients:
- Beef
- Beef
- Beef
A fitting name for a recipe that requires nothing but beef. This combo is easy to create whenever you have a surplus of meat ingredients.
Brine
Ingredients:
- Pickle
- Pickle
- Pickle
Brine is another simple three-of-a-kind recipe. Since pickles often appear frequently during some runs, this combo can be created more often than you might expect.
Salt Bomb
Ingredients:
- Olive
- Olive
- Olive
Just like several of the other food bonus recipes, Salt Bomb is created by combining three identical ingredients. It’s worth remembering whenever your inventory starts filling with olives.
Grains
Ingredients:
- Bread
- Rice
Unlike most recipes, Grains only requires two ingredients. Because of its low ingredient requirement, it’s one of the quickest and easiest bonuses to create during a run.
Score Bonus Combos (+2 Score)
These combinations provide an additional +2 score bonus. If you’re focused on achieving high scores rather than simply surviving, you’ll want to prioritize these whenever possible.
Hot Dog
Ingredients:
- Sausage
- Bread
- Bread
This recipe is one of the most recognizable food combinations in the game. Since bread is a common ingredient, Hot Dogs are usually easy to create consistently.
Sandwich
Ingredients:
- Bacon
- Pickle
- Bread
A classic sandwich recipe that combines ingredients from different categories. It’s a useful combo whenever you happen to collect these ingredients together.
Breakfast
Ingredients:
- Sausage
- Bacon
- Bread
Breakfast is one of the more natural-looking recipes in the game and rewards players with an extra score bonus. If you see these ingredients available at the same time, it’s often worth saving them for this combination.
Spicy
Ingredients:
- Pepper
- Pepper
- Pepper
A simple recipe requiring nothing but peppers. Easy to remember and easy to create whenever peppers start piling up.
Grease Bomb
Ingredients:
- Bacon
- Bacon
- Bacon
Three pieces of bacon create the Grease Bomb combo. It’s straightforward and provides a nice score boost when you’re lucky enough to collect plenty of bacon.
Big Loaf
Ingredients:
- Bread
- Bread
- Bread
Bread is one of the most common ingredients in the game, making Big Loaf one of the easiest score-boosting combinations to create regularly.
Spicy Meat
Ingredients:
- Pepper
- Beef
This is another recipe that only requires two ingredients, making it extremely efficient. Whenever you have both items available, it’s usually worth combining them for the bonus.
Coin Bonus Combo
While most recipes focus on food or score bonuses, one special combination rewards players with coins.
Burger
Ingredients:
- Beef
- Bread
- Bread
The Burger is unique because it provides coins instead of a food or score bonus. Since coins can be valuable during a run, this combo is worth prioritizing whenever the ingredients become available.
Many players consider this one of the most useful recipes in the game because the ingredients are relatively common and the reward has long-term value.
Quick Combo Reference
Food Bonus Combos
- Barbecue = Sausage + Bacon + Beef
- Salad = Pickle + Olive + Pepper
- Simple Meal = Rice + Pepper + Beef
- Death = Sausage + Sausage + Sausage
- Bowl of Rice = Rice + Rice + Rice
- Whole Cow = Beef + Beef + Beef
- Brine = Pickle + Pickle + Pickle
- Salt Bomb = Olive + Olive + Olive
- Grains = Bread + Rice
+2 Score Combos
- Hot Dog = Sausage + Bread + Bread
- Sandwich = Bacon + Pickle + Bread
- Breakfast = Sausage + Bacon + Bread
- Spicy = Pepper + Pepper + Pepper
- Grease Bomb = Bacon + Bacon + Bacon
- Big Loaf = Bread + Bread + Bread
- Spicy Meat = Pepper + Beef
Coin Combo
- Burger = Beef + Bread + Bread
The biggest mistake players make is using ingredients as soon as they get them. While that might keep your creature fed, it often means missing out on valuable combo bonuses.
Try to memorize the most common combinations, especially the ones that use bread, beef, bacon, and peppers. These ingredients appear frequently and can lead to several different recipes throughout a run.
If you’re aiming for a high score, focus on chaining score bonuses and coin-generating recipes whenever possible. A little planning can make a huge difference by the end of a game.
Good luck, and may your creature stay full for a very long time.