Guide · Star Citizen
Hunger and thirst
Eating and drinking is a survival mechanic, not set dressing. Here is where to track the meters, what NDR and HEI mean and which items are worth the backpack space.
How it works
In game, hunger and thirst are tracked as Nutrition and Hydration. Both meters sit on the mobiGlas personal status screen and at the bottom left of the HUD. They deplete over time and only go back up when you consume something.
Consumables are equipped from your inventory. Food is usually eaten in a single bite; a drink can be taken in small sips or in one go until the container is empty. Either way, you must remove your helmet first.
Do not eat on a full stomach
With Nutrition or Hydration already full, an item grants a much smaller effect. Save the consumable until the bar has actually dropped.
When the bar runs out
As the levels fall you start suffering ill effects, then take damage and eventually fall unconscious. A death caused this way is recorded as "Malnutrition".
NDR and HEI
NDR — Nutritional Density Rating
Devised by UEE Health Services to help citizens eat healthier. It weighs nutrient concentration per 100 kcal, the breadth of those nutrients and their bioavailability. The higher the score, the better the item is for overall health. The agency itself warns that a high score is not a silver bullet: no single food has everything, so variety matters as much as scoring well.
HEI — Hydration Efficacy Index
Created by a team of nutritionists at the University of Jalan to compare beverages on long haul flights, later adopted as the UEE Health Services standard. It folds moisture retention, absorbency rates, osmolality, caloric count and electrolytes (sodium and potassium) into a single number. The higher it is, the longer the drink keeps you hydrated.
Standard filtration system water has a baseline score of 80 — no commercial drink comes close. Caffeine and alcohol drag the index down, because they speed up water loss.
Dietary effects
Beyond filling the bars, many items carry one or more effects that modify your condition. Positive ones show in green and negative ones in red in the tables below. CIG does not publish the exact values behind each effect.
Helps hold on to hydration for longer.
Speeds up water loss — typical of coffee, energy drinks and alcohol.
Gives an energy boost.
Strengthens the immune system.
Weakens the immune system.
Improves focus and mental clarity.
Hurts focus — the classic alcohol effect.
Favours muscle gain.
Slows the metabolism: nutrition lasts longer.
Speeds up the metabolism: hunger comes back sooner.
Drinks
Every item with a Hydration Efficacy Index, including foraged edibles. Use the search to filter by name, effect or manufacturer, and click a header to sort.
| Name | HEI | NDR | Effects | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berry Blend Smoothie | 35 | 14 | Immune Boosting | — |
| Black Mountain Sujin Tea (Medium Blend) | 21 | — | Immune BoostingCognitive Boosting | Torreele Foodstuffs |
| Black Mountain Sujin Tea (Mild) | 21 | — | Immune BoostingCognitive Boosting | Torreele Foodstuffs |
| Black Mountain Sujin Tea (Rich) | 21 | — | Immune BoostingCognitive Boosting | Torreele Foodstuffs |
| Blue Bilva | 10 | 23 | HydratingEnergizing | — |
| CRUZ Dark | 38 | 30 | HypertrophicHypo-Metabolic | Nu-trite |
| CRUZ Flow | 38 | 30 | HypertrophicHypo-Metabolic | Nu-trite |
| CRUZ Lux | 38 | 30 | HypertrophicHypo-Metabolic | Nu-trite |
| CRUZ Pulse | 38 | 30 | HypertrophicHypo-Metabolic | Nu-trite |
| Citrus Rush Smoothie | 39 | 15 | Immune Boosting | Garcia's Greens |
| Ermer Family Farms Chocolate Milk | 30 | 9 | EnergizingHyper-Metabolic | Ermer Family Farms |
| F&V Blend Smoothie | 35 | 14 | Immune Boosting | — |
| Fizzz Cola | 16 | — | EnergizingHyper-Metabolic | Bevic Group |
| Fizzz Muscat | 16 | — | EnergizingHyper-Metabolic | Bevic Group |
| Fizzz Peach | 16 | — | EnergizingHyper-Metabolic | Bevic Group |
| Fizzz Soursop | 16 | — | EnergizingHyper-Metabolic | Bevic Group |
| Fizzz Triple Berry | 16 | — | EnergizingHyper-Metabolic | Bevic Group |
| Flood Energy | 18 | — | DehydratingCognitive Boosting | — |
| Fresh Garden Smoothie | 39 | 15 | Immune Boosting | Garcia's Greens |
| Gen Liberty Ale (Bottle) | 23 | — | Cognitive ImpairmentDehydrating | Liberty Lake Brewers |
| Get Up Coffee (Black) | 15 | — | DehydratingCognitive Boosting | Bevic Group |
| Get Up Coffee (Cinnamon) | 15 | — | DehydratingCognitive Boosting | Bevic Group |
Nothing found for that term.
Partial list, alphabetical: the game has more items than are catalogued here, and new ones show up every patch.
Food
Every item with a Nutritional Density Rating. Some show up in both lists: smoothies and nutritional drinks count for hunger and thirst at once.
| Name | NDR | HEI | Effects | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agrodolce Delight Kacho | 30 | — | None | Terra Mills |
| Aloprat Skewer | 25 | — | Immune Suppressing | — |
| Avocado and Corn Sandwich | 41 | — | None | Twyn's Sandwiches |
| Bacon Club Sandwich | 41 | — | None | Twyn's Sandwiches |
| Berry Blend Smoothie | 14 | 35 | Immune Boosting | — |
| Blue Bilva | 23 | 10 | EnergizingHydrating | — |
| Bo-Go (Angeli Original) | 30 | — | None | Bo-Go |
| Bo-Go (Crawdad) | 30 | — | None | Bo-Go |
| Bo-Go (Hot and Sweet) | 30 | — | None | Bo-Go |
| Bo-Go (Langoustine and Lamb) | 30 | — | None | Bo-Go |
| Bologna Sandwich | 41 | — | None | Twyn's Sandwiches |
| Boumbo Stew Omni Pack | 56 | — | HypertrophicHypo-Metabolic | — |
| Breakfast Dog | 34 | — | DehydratingHyper-Metabolic | — |
| Buster's Chocolate Bar | 10 | — | EnergizingHyper-Metabolic | Terra Mills |
| CRUZ Dark | 30 | 38 | HypertrophicHypo-Metabolic | Nu-trite |
| CRUZ Flow | 30 | 38 | HypertrophicHypo-Metabolic | Nu-trite |
| CRUZ Lux | 30 | 38 | HypertrophicHypo-Metabolic | Nu-trite |
| CRUZ Pulse | 30 | 38 | HypertrophicHypo-Metabolic | Nu-trite |
| Cal-O-Meal "Chocolate Deluxe" Protein Bar | 20 | — | Hypertrophic | — |
| Cal-O-Meal "Lunes" Protein Bar | 20 | — | Hypertrophic | — |
| Cal-O-Meal "Vanilla" Protein Bar | 20 | — | Hypertrophic | — |
| Captain's Mix Sandwich | 38 | — | None | — |
Nothing found for that term.
Partial list, alphabetical: the game has more items than are catalogued here, and new ones show up every patch.
Data compiled from the Star Citizen Wiki (starcitizen.tools). Star Citizen and Roberts Space Industries are trademarks of Cloud Imperium Rights LLC. SpaceGamer is not affiliated with CIG.