In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), food is one of the most important resources for any player, whether you're tackling high-level bosses, engaging in PvP, or grinding through challenging PvM content. The right food can make or break your chances of survival, as it directly influences how much damage you can take and how long you can stay in combat. While there is a wide variety of food available in the game, some options are far superior to others, offering better healing, faster consumption, or additional benefits. In this article, we will explore the best food options in OSRS gold, comparing their healing abilities, efficiency, and use in different scenarios.

Types of Food in OSRS

Before diving into the best foods, it's important to understand the types of food available in OSRS. There are three primary types of food in the game:

Healing Food: This type of food restores your health (hitpoints) when consumed. The amount restored depends on the specific food.

Stat Boosting Food: This food provides temporary stat boosts, such as increased strength or agility.

Miscellaneous Foods: Some food items offer unique effects, such as restoring run energy or providing other benefits, but they are not primarily used for healing.

Healing Food

Healing food is the most commonly used type of food in OSRS, especially in high-stakes PvM activities and boss fights. The effectiveness of healing food is typically measured by the amount of health restored per item and its consumption speed. Let's break down some of the most popular healing food options in OSRS and rank them based on their effectiveness.

1. Saradomin Brews

Healing: 15-20 hitpoints per brew (with a maximum of 30 hitpoints in total for the brew's healing range).

Price: Expensive, especially when purchasing in bulk.

Special Effect: Saradomin Brews have the unique effect of lowering your Defence by 10% with each brew you drink, but they restore large amounts of health, making them invaluable for tough PvM encounters like Raids or The Nightmare of Ashihama.

Best Use: Boss fights or high-risk PvM content where you're expecting to take a lot of damage. It's ideal for healing large chunks of health quickly. However, due to the Defence reduction, they should be used strategically to avoid being overwhelmed in combat.

Saradomin Brews are widely regarded as one of the best foods in the game for healing. The ability to heal for up to 30 hitpoints makes them particularly useful for players who need to recover from major hits. While the Defence penalty can be a drawback, this can be mitigated with the right equipment and timing.

2. Sharks

Healing: 20 hitpoints per shark.

Price: Moderately expensive, but cheaper than Saradomin Brews.

Special Effect: No special effects, just a straightforward healing food.

Best Use: Sharks are excellent for most general PvM scenarios. They are commonly used by players in boss fights, Slayer tasks, and other dangerous activities. They offer solid healing without any drawbacks, making them a popular choice for many.

Sharks are a staple for a reason. Their solid healing of 20 hitpoints per item makes them an effective choice for long battles, especially for those not looking to use more expensive healing items. They're ideal for players who need to maintain their Defence and prayer while keeping their health topped up.

3. Manta Rays

Healing: 22 hitpoints per manta ray.

Price: More expensive than sharks but less costly than Saradomin Brews.

Special Effect: No special effects.

Best Use: Manta Rays are excellent for healing during PvM content where you require healing that exceeds the benefit of sharks. They're especially effective for extended PvM encounters, such as The Chambers of Xeric (Raids) or boss fights that require high survivability over time.

While Manta Rays heal slightly more than Sharks (22 hitpoints), they are usually reserved for higher-level players with bigger bank accounts. They can be an excellent choice for situations where players need to buy OSRS gold  prioritize high healing with minimal cost.