Simple meal

A simple meal is a basic and effective way to prepare food.

Acquisition

Simple meals can be cooked at a Campfire, Fueled stove, or Electric stove. A simple meal requires 0.5 units of nutrition from raw food - this is equal to 10 units of rice, potatoes, meat, and most foods. They require 300 ticks (5 secs) of work to make, and have no minimum cooking skill. Cooking at a campfire doubles the work required, to 600 ticks (10 secs) of work.

Summary

A simple meal can be eaten by humans or animals for 0.9 nutrition, or 90% of a human's hunger meter. As it takes 0.5 nutrition of raw food to create, simple meals provide 180% nutrition efficiency. They do not have an effect on mood, unless made from an (un)desirable ingredient.

Analysis

Going from eating raw food to simple meals is a huge upgrade, since:

Simple meals give 80% more nutrition than raw food.
Simple meals avoid the −7 Ate raw food moodlet.
Simple meals have a lower chance of giving food poisoning, assuming a clean cooking area and a chef with a cooking stat of 3 or better.

Compared to other meals:

Fine meals give a +5 Ate fine meal mood boost and have the same nutrition efficiency, but require both meat and vegetables to create. They take more work and require a Cooking skill of 6. Vegetarian fine meals and carnivore fine meals can be made from 1 type of food, but waste food in the process.

Nutrient paste meals give a −4 moodlet, require Nutrient paste researched (New Arrivals start with this), and power to operate a dispenser. However, nutrient paste gives 66% more nutrition, will not ever give food poisoning, and takes no work to create. Paste becomes relatively better if you do not have a skilled cook, or are limited on food.