Ironman Food Guide OSRS: Best Food at Every Stage

Getting reliable food is one of the first challenges on an ironman. Here’s what to use at each stage — and when to move on.

At a glance:

• Early: Eclipse Red wines (Varlamore), cakes (Ardy stall), jugs of wine
• Mid: Karambwans, monkfish, sunlight moth mixes
• Late: Sharks, manta rays, anglerfish, cooked antelopes, combo eating

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Early Game

You don’t have high Fishing or Cooking yet. These options keep you alive with minimal requirements.

Eclipse Red Wines (Varlamore)

• Heals: 16 HP
• Requirements: Children of the Sun quest (5 minutes)
• Where: Free spawn at Hunter Guild, world hop to collect
• Why it’s good: Best early food in the game. Also sells for 700gp each at Aldarin winery — food AND money maker.

Cakes (Ardougne Stall)

• Heals: 4 + 4 + 4 (12 total over 3 bites)
• Requirements: None (15 Thieving helps avoid guards)
• Where: Steal from Ardougne bakery stall
• Why it’s good: Zero cost, infinite supply, no skills needed. Classic early ironman method.

Jugs of Wine

• Heals: 11 HP (drains Attack by 2-3)
• Requirements: None
• Where: Buy from Fortunato in Draynor for 1gp each
• Why it’s good: Cheap, easy to stockpile
• Downside: Attack drain makes it bad for melee — better for ranging/maging or skilling

Basic Fish (Trout, Salmon, Tuna)

• Heals: 7 / 9 / 10
• Requirements: 20-35 Fishing, 15-30 Cooking
• Where: Barbarian Village, Shilo Village
• Why it’s good: Trains two skills while building food supply

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Mid Game

You’re doing Slayer, early bossing, and need food that heals more.

Karambwans

• Heals: 18 HP
• Requirements: 65 Fishing, 30 Cooking, Tai Bwo Wannai Trio quest
• Where: Fishing spot east of Tai Bwo Wannai
• Why it’s good: Excellent healing AND combo food (can eat with other food in same tick)
• Banking: Karamja Gloves 3, or fish barrel + house teleport

Monkfish

• Heals: 16 HP
• Requirements: 62 Fishing, 62 Cooking, Swan Song quest
• Where: Piscatoris Fishing Colony
• Why it’s good: Easy to fish, bank nearby via fairy ring (AKQ)

Sunlight Moth Mixes (Varlamore)

• Heals: 8 HP + restores 6 + 20% of reduced stats
• Requirements: 65 Hunter, pestle and mortar, hunter meat
• Where: Hunter Guild (The Burrow)
• Why it’s good: Works like Guthix rest — no eat delay, can heal during combat without interrupting attacks

Lobsters

• Heals: 12 HP
• Requirements: 40 Fishing, 40 Cooking
• Where: Catherby, Fishing Guild
• Why it’s good: Easy transition between early and mid game

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Late Game

You’re bossing, doing raids, and need maximum healing.

Sharks

• Heals: 20 HP
• Requirements: 76 Fishing, 80 Cooking
• Where: Fishing Guild, Catherby
• Why it’s good: Standard high-level food, reliable

Manta Rays

• Heals: 22 HP
• Requirements: 81 Fishing, 91 Cooking
• Where: Fishing Trawler, Tempoross
• Why it’s good: Highest instant healing from standard fish

Anglerfish

• Heals: 22 HP (scales with HP level, can overheal)
• Requirements: 82 Fishing, 84 Cooking, 100% Piscarilius favour
• Where: Port Piscarilius
• Why it’s good: Can heal above max HP (up to 121 HP at 99) — eat one before every boss fight
• Note: Overheal doesn’t work in PvP

Cooked Sunlight Antelope (Varlamore)

• Heals: 21 HP (12 instant + 9 delayed over 4.2s)
• Requirements: 72 Hunter, 68 Cooking, 50 Hunter Rumours completed
• Where: Hunt in Avium Savannah, cook anywhere
• Why it’s good: High total healing, good for Slayer where damage is spread out
• Downside: Delayed heal makes it bad for intense bossing — eating again cancels the pending heal

Cooked Moonlight Antelope (Varlamore)

• Heals: 26 HP (14 instant + 12 delayed over 4.2s) + cures poison
• Requirements: 91 Hunter, 92 Cooking, 50 Hunter Rumours completed
• Where: Hunt at night in Hunter Guild area, cook anywhere
• Why it’s good: Highest healing food in the game. Also cures poison.
• Downside: Same delayed healing issue — don’t use for intense damage situations
• Note: Burns even at 99 Cooking without the Cooking cape

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Varlamore Food Summary

Varlamore added several unique food options. Here’s when to use each:

Food	Heals	Hunter	Cooking	Best For
Eclipse Red	16	—	—	Early game, also 700gp each
Sunlight Moth Mix	8 + stats	65	—	Speed kills, no-delay healing
Cooked Sunlight Antelope	21 (delayed)	72	68	Slayer, low-damage activities
Cooked Moonlight Antelope	26 (delayed)	91	92	Max healing, cures poison

Key difference: Moth mixes have no eat delay (like Guthix rest). Antelopes have delayed healing that can be cancelled.

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Combo Eating

Combo eating lets you heal more in a single tick by eating multiple food types together.

How it works

1. Eat a normal food (shark, manta ray)
2. Immediately eat a karambwan
3. Both heal in the same game tick

Common combos

Combo	Total Healing
Shark + Karambwan	20 + 18 = 38 HP
Manta ray + Karambwan	22 + 18 = 40 HP
Anglerfish + Karambwan	22 + 18 = 40 HP

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Quick Comparison

Food	Heals	Requirements	Best For
Eclipse Red	16	Children of the Sun	Early game + money
Cakes	12 (3 bites)	None	Very early, free
Jugs of wine	11	None	Early ranged/mage
Karambwan	18	65 Fish, quest	Mid-late, combo eating
Monkfish	16	62 Fish, quest	Mid game
Shark	20	76 Fish	Late game standard
Manta ray	22	81 Fish	High healing
Anglerfish	22+	82 Fish, favour	Pre-boss overheal
Sunlight Moth Mix	8 + stats	65 Hunter	Speed kills
Cooked Sunlight Antelope	21 (delayed)	72 Hunter, 68 Cook	Slayer
Cooked Moonlight Antelope	26 (delayed)	91 Hunter, 92 Cook	Max healing

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Common Mistakes

• Ignoring Eclipse Red wines — Best early food now, and most guides don’t mention Varlamore
• Not fishing karambwans early — Start at 65 Fishing, they’re useful forever
• Using sharks for everything — Combo eat with karambwans for better healing per slot
• Forgetting anglerfish overheal — Always eat one before a tough boss
• Using antelopes for bossing — The delayed heal gets cancelled if you eat again quickly

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Related Guides

• Early Game Money Making — Eclipse Red wines double as GP
• Varlamore Guide — Moths and antelopes from Hunter
• Prayer Training — Moonlight moths also restore prayer