How to Eat and Drink in Project Zomboid

If your character doesn’t eat or drink for too long, it will start to lose HP and eventually die. But the game mechanics can be confusing for beginners, since some types of food require additional actions. Let’s find out how not to die of thirst and hunger in Project Zomboid.

How to Drink

Without water, your character will die in one and a half days. If you have a bottle of water in your inventory, the character will drink automatically.

• After a few days, the water supply will be disabled because of the apocalypse. Until this happens, you can drink directly from any water tap in any house. Click with RMB (right mouse button) on a water tap and select the “Drink” option.
  
• You can also safely drink from wells if you find them.
• When the water supply is disabled, you can collect rainwater by placing almost any container suitable for holding water (for example, cups) outside. But, as you understand, there must be rain. Click RMB on a container in your inventory and select “Place Item“. Then, place the container outside in the open air and wait for rain. Rainwater must be boiled to be safe to drink.
  
• Water containers can be filled with water from water taps, wells, and rivers. Click RMB on the water source and choose “Fill“. Then, select containers to fill.
  
• You can get water from rivers, but it must be boiled to be drinkable. Otherwise, your character may get sick with a fever.

How to eat

You can find food almost in any house in the game. The food can be divided into two categories: canned and other. Canned food doesn’t spoil over time, while fresh food becomes unfit for consumption very soon.

• To open canned food, you must have a can opener. It can be found in kitchens, generally. Without this item, you won’t be able to open canned foods. So it doesn’t make sense to collect a lot of them until you find a can opener.
  
• Strive to collect and eat as much fresh food as possible. Canned foods won’t spoil, so you will be able to come back for them later.
  
• You can also get food by fishing, hunting, and farming. But these methods require skills and tools, and for this reason, they aren’t suitable for the early game.

Quick tips on food and drink for beginners

• As stated above, do not accumulate a lot of canned food. Strive to collect and eat fresh food first, because it becomes unfit for consumption very soon.
• Collect water from clean sources. Rainwater and water from rivers must be boiled to be drinkable. That’s why you should collect clear water and strive not to waste it before the water supply is disabled.
• Put food and drink in a separate container like a paper bag or something like that. This way, you won’t get confused in your inventory looking for supplies.
  
• If you find a car, try to fill it with clear water, food, and useful tools before leaving a city.