Getting Started

Welcome to Eat Everything. This plugin is built around Paper’s food and consumable data components, allowing you to turn regular items into fully configurable food and define reusable custom consumable presets in YAML.

If you are coming from older Bukkit food plugins, the big difference here is that Eat Everything works with Paper’s modern item data model rather than a pile of ad-hoc metadata tricks. That makes it especially useful for 1.20.5+ servers that want clean, component-based consumables.

Prerequisites

Before installing the plugin, make sure your server matches the technology used by the project:

Java Version: Java 21 or newer is required.
Server Software: Paper or a Paper-compatible fork is required.
Minecraft Version: 1.20.5 or newer is required in practice because the plugin relies on modern item data component APIs introduced in the post-component item system.
PlaceholderAPI Optional : Only needed if you want PlaceholderAPI placeholders inside plugin messages.
Permissions Plugin Optional : A plugin such as LuckPerms is recommended to manage per-command access.

Installation

Setting up Eat Everything is straightforward. Follow these steps to get started:

Download the latest Eat Everything build from your official distribution page.
Place the eat-everything-x.x.x.jar file into your server’s plugins/ directory.
Restart the server to generate the default configuration files.
Join the server and run /eateverything or /ee to verify that the plugin loaded correctly.

First-Run Configuration

On first startup, the plugin generates a dedicated folder containing three main files:

config.yml: Contains global plugin options such as the update checker.
messages.yml: Holds all command feedback, usage errors, and item-editing responses.
food-components.yml: Defines reusable custom food components that can be matched to items and automatically applied.

Important notes for first boot:

The generated default entry inside food-components.yml is an example only and is not registered as a real component.
Invalid materials, invalid enchantment names, or invalid potion effect names are logged during component loading.

Common First-Boot Mistakes

Running the plugin on Spigot instead of Paper.
Expecting the sample default component to register.
Editing a config and assuming already-tagged items in the world will update retroactively.
Using broad component rules before testing a precise name or lore-based match.

Already-updated items can keep their old applied data, so after changing component definitions, always test with freshly generated items.

Next Steps

Commands & Permissions: Learn every editing and utility command in detail.
food-components.yml: Build reusable consumables with conditions, conversions, and execution commands.
Live Item Editing: Learn the fastest workflow for experimenting with Paper food data on a held item.
Custom Food Components: Understand how component matching and automatic application works internally.