Do Kryptonian need to eat food to live while on Earth?

[gwhh]

Do Kryptonian need to eat to live, while or Earth?

The comics also show Power Girl eating because she hungry but it does not say if she needs to eat to live. Like a normal human. Supergirl and Superman man seem to eat just as a matter of habit from living on Earth.

What your take on this situation?

[jimishim12]

They don't, they consume radiation from the solar waves of the sun making them self sufficient energy storage.

[Robotman]

Superman/Clark may not need to eat but he still enjoys the taste of food. He apparently loves to get a pretzel on his way to work and there have been times when Ma has cooked him his favorite meal. Even if he doesn't need it for sustenance he could still crave the taste. As humans we do things for pleasure that aren't necessary for our survival.
So if Powergirl was "hungry" it could be that she was just craving a certain food and wanted indulge herself.

But Kryptonians still have a similar digestive system to humans so they may get a bit of energy from food, if they ate enough.

[Jon Clark]

I don't think they need to eat for fuel, but considering that they bleed and at least under Byrne shed skin cells they should need to consume food just for the raw material needed to build their cells from. Even if you assume Superman has reached some sort of state where he actually recycles his old cells to build new ones- he must have gotten the added mass to grow from infancy somewhere, right?

[Slaughter]

Didn't Critical Condition in the early 2000s show that a kryptonian's metabolism is like a nuclear furnace that processes solar energy and breaks down matter into energy?
Superman might as well get a bit of energy from the mass of what he eats. Our metabolic systems are already very efficient at that regards (I think we get 95% of the energy we consume), so he probably gets the remaining 5% as well, maybe more if his metabolic system literally turn the atoms of what he eats into a fuel source for fission or fusion reactions.

Personally I never brought the whole "solar energy" explanation because the power wattage simply ins't there. Now, solar power as a catalyst for a internal power reaction...

[MykeHavoc]

The general consensus of modern day seems to be they eat strictly for the pleasure of it, though depending on the writer, that may vary. Perhaps in his recent weakened state, Clark might require sustenance. But I don't recall it being specifically addressed since the beginning of Truth. Pak went out of his way within the narrative to show how new all the sensations are to Clark, mostly the pain from the effort to do feats that pale in comparison to what he once could do with ease. I'd imagine hunger would fit in nicely with that. I must admit though, I haven't kept up with the Superman title since Johns left. My observations are strictly from reading Action, SM/WW and BM/SM.

[superduperman]

What if he doesn't NEED to eat but he still gets hungry? He still has a functioning stomach after all. So he may not need to eat, but getting hungry would probably get annoying VERY quickly.

[gwhh]

In Superman: The Animated Series. He says in a voice over he did not need to eat. But old habits die hard and that why he eats on that show.

[Somecrazyaussie]

Technically they get enough energy from the sun. But Clark chooses to eat anyway and likes the taste of certain foods. I remember one comic he loves to eat jars of peanut butter. Said comic also said he was a fan of R.E.M too.

[Jim Kelly]

Something missing from all Secret Files and Origins--a diagram of Superman's Kreb Cycle!

[seismic-2]

He has a normal (Kryptonian) digestive system, so even if he gets energy externally, his stomach acid, liver bile, pancreatic juices, etc., need to be operating on something, or else they will attack the tissues of his gastrointestinal tract, won't they? It's better for Kal's stomach to be digesting food than to be digesting itself. A super-ulcer is bad news.

[SuperX]

Imo this would have been a perfect opportunity to have conner/kon be seen different than the others.Geoff made a point to say he doesnt synthesize solar energy as fast as the other Supers (even though you can't tell in AC at all.have him have to eat ,sleep get tired ,make him the most human super (which he already is)

[williamtheday]

But no Kryptonian could drink Pabst Blue Ribbon with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

[achilles]

They don't need to eat food, but they do need to eat Twinkies. It gives them there powers and keeps them nearly immortal.

[Jackalope89]

Yeah, even I'm good with the whole "not a necessity, but a daily pleasure" thing in regards to food. Of course, with each one having their own preference to which is their favorite. But the half-Kryptonians should need to eat some food at least.