In my travels I come across many different food items. Carrots, apples, cabbage, etc. I have yet to see an apple tree, or a farm with carrots or cabbage. Can you buy food items directly from the farm? It would be cheaper and the farmer might have a quest for you.
When you find food in a cave/dungeon that looks like no one has been there in ages and you eat that food, you should at least get sick (lower health) or have to cook it so you don't get sick.

This game is not strong on survival aspect. If it have one at all. So do not expect much realism in this field. Still it would be nice if it would have one, "hardcoe" mode in Fallout NV was largely success and step in to the right direction. I even think it could have been more "hardcoe".

I think it's funny you find those big 'ol barrels with only a few pieces in them. 3 apples, 4 carrots, 2 cabbages. I mean really, why not just put it all in one barrel?

The Nords don't want their apples to taste leik cabbage!

Or have a couple of barrels, food items in one (apples, carrots, leeks) and the other, which you think has food or some ingredient, when you search it a small spider or skeever (that ate the food in it) jumps out and starts attacking you. That would make you jump.