As an early game alternative to potions, it would be neat if each food item gave you an interesting (although mostly negligible) status effect, similar to the pufferfish or the flesh (but actually useful). This would make every food item also a utility item to an extent, making them useful even if you already have a 100 block long melon farm making your hunger basically a nonissue.

Basic ideas (Feel free to add to this):

Steak gives you resistance I for 5 seconds

Carrots give you night vision for 5 seconds

Cookies give you speed I for 5 seconds

Rabbit gives you jump boost I for 5 seconds

Etc. and etc.

What do you think? Should this be a thing?