Food
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| File:Wikipedia-logo-v2-en-notext.png | Food: Food is any substance, usually composed primarily of carbohydrates, fats, water and/or proteins, that can be eaten or drunk by an animal or human being for nutrition or pleasure. |
For the Sims it's a lot easier. No food = low hunger = starvation = death.
Food is most often taken from a refrigerator and must be prepared or cooked before a Sim can eat it.
The Sims
The Sims featured only a few types of food. Sims with a fridge can have a snack, or can prepare a meal. The meal will be either steak and beans, a salad, or a can of beans, depending on what else is available. If the Sim doesn't have, or can't get to, a stove, microwave, or toaster oven, the meal becomes a salad. If the Sim doesn't have, or can't get to, a preparation surface, the meal becomes a can of beans. Sims can choose to have a 'quick meal', which does not need to be prepared, but does need to be cooked. Sims can use the BBQ grill to cook a plate of hamburgers. Sims do not have to buy food, but are charged each time they prepare a meal or have a snack. They are charged §20 for a group meal (which serves six), §10 for a single meal, and §5 for a snack. (If Unleashed is installed, they are not charged for meals prepared from a pantry.) Sims can also use the phone to order pizza, which will cost them §40.
Later expansion packs provided more food for Sims to eat, including a birthday cake, cookies, and turkey. This food is bought from the Buy catalog, and is ready to eat when bought. Livin' Large added Servo, which will produce food when told to serve a meal. It's not very good food, but it is free. The most significant upgrade was that of Makin' Magic, which provided a baker's oven which allows Sims to cook more types of food, as long as the required ingredients were in the Sim's inventory.
The Sims 2
Food in The Sims 2 is more complicated, featuring many new choices, like Mac and Cheese, Lobster Thermidor and Baked Alaska. Food is even classified into three types: Snacks, Meals and Dessert, with meals also broken down depending on the time of day: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. (Open for Business added the ability to Make any type of food the Sim is able to prepare, except for a TV Dinner, at any time, but the Sim usually won't eat or serve that food unless the player directs them to.)
The types of food Sims can prepare depends on their level in the Cooking skill. Also, some foods require certain equipment to make, e.g. needing a microwave to make Cup O' Ramen [University]
One difference from The Sims is that it's possible for a Sim to become distracted while waiting for their food to cook, especially if they're using an oven. This can result in a burned meal, or even a fire. Even if the Sim doesn't get distracted, they can still burn a meal, as even the best cooks don't always get it right. Another difference is that cold foods, such as cereal and lunch meat sandwiches, are available, so Sims with little Cooking skill can eat without risking fire. Also, The Sims 2 fridges occasionally have to be restocked, which means that it's necessary to buy groceries once in a while via the phone, computer, or grocery store.
Children can only prepare food using the toy oven, which makes a muffin that is fairly filling. Like adults, they can get distracted while cooking.
Later expansion packs such as Holiday Party Pack, Open for Business and Seasons added more foods for Sims to cook. Bon Voyage adds special foods that can only be eaten on vacation.
The Sims Castaway Stories
Food in Castaway Stories has changed, mainly because it has to be collected. Food can be collected much as resources can. Here are the ways:
- Collecting fruit from trees (coconuts, papayas, bananas),
- Fishing (bigger fish bring more food),
- Going to work (this also brings resources).
The Sims 3
Food in The Sims 3 can be moved out of the fridge by clicking on it and clicking "open". Unlike The Sims 2, foods can be chosen when bought from a grocery store. Food can be made into meals by Sims that have enough cooking skill. As in The Sims and The Sims 2, Sims can burn food and start fires. There are also "quick meals" which are filling, but don't give a Sim any mood benefit, such as the Good Meal moodlet. As in The Sims 2, children can use the toy oven to make muffins and other sweets. These were later broken down into vanilla, chocolate, and other goods for the bake sales in The Sims 3 Ambitions.
| Breakfast and Brunch Recipes | |||||
| Recipe Name | Ingredients | Base Quality | Learned From | About this Food | Picture of Dish |
| Waffles | Egg | Normal | Level 0 | Level 0 | |
| Pancakes | Fruit (even Life Fruit!) | Normal | Cooking Level 1 | ||
| Peanut Butter and Jelly | Fruit | Normal | Cooking Level 1 | Cold Cooked | |
| Fruit Parfait | Apple and Grapes | Nice | Recipe Book (level 4) | Cold Cooked | |
| Eggs Machiavellian | Watermelon, Egg | Very Nice | Recipe Book (level 7) | ||
| French Toast | Two Apples and an Egg | Great | Cooking Level 9 | ||
| Ambrosia | Death Fish and Life Fruit | Perfect | Recipe Book (Level 10) | Always perfect, can be cooked at any time in single serving. Read up on Ambrosia | |
There are a few meals that can only be eaten for brunch and lunch..
| Lunch/Dinner Recipes | |||||
| Recipe Name | Ingredients | Base Quality | Learned From | About this Food | Picture of Dish |
| Autumn Salad | Lettuce | Normal | Level 0 | Cold Cooked, for Brunch, Lunch and Dinner | |
| Grilled Cheese | Cheese | Normal | Level 0 | Lunch only | |
| Hot Dogs | Links | Normal | Level 0 | Grilled in Group Portions | |
| Mac and Cheese | Cheese | Normal | Level 0 | Lunch and Dinner | |
| Ratatouille | Tomato | Normal | Recipe Book (level 1) | Lunch and Dinner | |
| Goopy Carbonara | Onion | Normal | Cooking Level 2 | Lunch and Dinner | |
| Cheesesteak | Cheese and Steak | Nice | Recipe Book (level 5) | Can be Grilled for Lunch and Dinner | |
| Hamburger | Onion, Patty | Very Nice | Cooking Level 6 | Can be Grilled for Lunch and Dinner | |
| Dim Sum | Three Fish | Great | Cooking Level 9 | Food for Brunch and Lunch only | |
| Dinner only Recipes | |||||
| Recipe Name | Ingredients | Base Quality | Learned From | About this Food | Picture of Dish |
| Fish and Chips | Fish | Nice | Recipe Book (level 3) | Can be Grilled | |
| Spaghetti | Tomato | Nice | Cooking Level 4 | ||
| Sushi | Fish | Nice | Cooking Level 4 | Cold Dish | |
| Stu Suprise | Two of Any Ingredients | Nice | Cooking Level 5 | ||
| Grilled Salmon | Garlic, Potato, Salmon | Very Nice | Cooking Level 8 | Can Be Grilled | |
| Tri-Tip Steak | Potato, 1 Vegetable and Steak | Very Nice | Recipe Book (level 8) | Can be Grilled | |
| Stuffed Turkey | Two Vegetables and a Roast | Great | Recipe Book (level 9) | Only available in group portions. | |
| Lobster Thermidor | Garlic, Lobster, Bell Pepper | Great | Cooking Level 10 | ||
Dessert Recipes | |||||
| Recipe Name | Ingredients | Base Quality | Learned From | About this Food | Picture of Dish |
| Cookies | Egg | Nice | Recipe Book (level 3) | ||
| Cobbler | Any Fruit and 1 Egg | Very Nice | Recipe Book (level 6) | ||
| Key Lime Pie | Lime and 1 Egg | Very Nice | Cooking Level 7 | ||
| Baked Angel Food Cake | Flame Fruit and 2 Eggs | Great | Recipe Book (level 10) | Gives the Warm Fuzzies moodlet, which grants +15 mood for 5 hours. Flame Fruit bushes need level 7 Gardening. | |
The following recipes are only available with The Sims 3's World Adventures expansion. The book store in each specified travel location offers the following recipe books:
World Adventures Recipes | |||||
| Recipe Name | Ingredients | Base Quality | Learned From | About this Food | Picture of Dish |
| Cheese Plate | Grapes, Cheese | Normal | France, cooking level 1 | Dessert | |
| Bouillabaisse | Fish, Vegetable | Nice | France, cooking level 3 | Dinner | |
| Frogs Legs | Garlic, Frog | Nice | France, cooking level 3 | Dinner - unlike other recipes your Sim must have frogs in order to prepare this dish, so stock up! | |
| Crepes | 2 Fruit Varieties | Very Nice | France, cooking level 8 | Breakfast, Brunch | |
| Shawarma | Steak | Normal | Egypt, cooking level 1 | Lunch, Dinner | |
| Falafel | Onion, Lettuce | Nice | Egypt, cooking level 5 | Lunch, Dinner | |
| Egg Rolls | Egg, Lettuce | Normal | China, cooking level 2 | Lunch, Dinner | |
| Stir Fry | Garlic, Bell Pepper | Very Nice | China, cooking level 6 | Lunch, Dinner | |
Modded Food
- See also: Custom content
Modded food (Modified food) is food downloaded from sites like The Sims Resource and ModTheSims2. These sites have a dedicated "food" section, where players can download several types of food like ice cream, Chinese chicken and French bread. Earlier versions of food for The Sims 2 have had many problems which creators tried to overcome, such as food not disappearing when eaten, among other things.
Downloads for The Sims 3 can also add new recipes, make recipes more complex, and increase the price for ingredients if a Sim doesn't own them.