Only Eat When Hungry
Eat only when you are at 60 percent hunger. If you eat food at less than that, your character will actually suffer by gaining weight and not getting the max out of the food stats. Each food has a hunger value, so you must choose a type of food that isn't going to fill you up entirely.
Gathering Your Food
Gather beans with a hoe in a potato field. Hit coconut trees to get coconuts. Get eggs from a hen. Collect milk from cows. While gathering beans and potatoes, you can eventually obtain a rare great potato, giving you more stats.
Grocery Shopping
Buy food from various merchant non-playable characters to get a strength boost. You can also purchase eggs, lemons, slices of meat and cheese from other players who have spent time leveling skills such as gathering, baking and cooking.
Temporary Effects of Food
Certain foods can give you a slight edge over an enemy. Grilled eel gives a significant boost to strength, ranging from +15 for three-star quality up to +30 strength for five stars. A fried Abb Neagh Carp can give +40 strength at five-star quality but no strength boost at three stars. Get the foods you can afford or make without being bankrupt.