There's no "food mechanics" in the game, though. There are 84 types of different food that play ALL the exact same role, while filling 84 different slots on the inventory (when we are lucky and they stack properly).
Okay, fair enough it’s pointless, but I still kind of like it except for niggles already mentioned. And while rummaging through piles of empty or near-empty containers bugs me as much as it does anyone else, and agree there is too much food, I actually find it more realistic that there are plenty of items in the world that it makes sense to leave where they are and I appreciate that the game encourages me to interrogate my pack rat tendencies. Once I’ve built up a bit of a buffer in my camp supply chest for any (currently unlikely) lean days, for example, I now simply wouldn’t pick up more food in a day than I need for that night’s long rest unless it were an item I particularly liked the look of, and this seems to reflect sensible, well-adjusted behaviour.
All that said, I’m not particularly wedded to it and if it vanished from the game then I’d be slightly sad for a short while then get over it!
I do agree with the frustration about not knowing what items, books or notes might come in handy later, though, and also am not a big fan of crafting outside quests.
