Namecks?

[SSJFinny]

Can Namecians actually eat food or do they strictly live off of only water?

[Kaboom]

I've always gotten the impression that they CAN eat food, but don't NEED to.

[Saiga]

I think Daimao was seen ordering a feast, so it must be possible.

[TheMightyOzaru]

I'm pretty sure they can eat normal food but water is probably a lot more healthy for them. There was this one time where Piccolo complained about having fish again in the driving filler episode but that was from the funimation dub, I'm not sure if thats in the original Japanese.

[Pantalones]

Yeah, the "can eat regular food but only need water to survive" thing seems to be what's implied. Piccolo Daimao wanted something to eat, Kami/original-nameless-Namek ate (in his backstory it's mentioned that there wasn't a lot of food in Yunzabit where he landed), and Piccolo Jr.'s capable of eating Senzu Beans, so they clearly can eat.

I'm guessing Piccolo/Kami just didn't know they can survive on only water due to the original Namek being sent away at such a young age, so they ate (and almost all food contains SOME water, so they could survive on that.) The Nameks back on their homeworld learn about the only-water thing while growing up among others of their kind, though, so they don't feel the need to ever eat anything else.

[CaBrPi]

^That actually makes total sense. It's like taking a young animal from the wild and putting it into a zoo. Sure, it has all of its instinctual behaviors, but zoos have to take special care because it's possible that the infant will never be taught important learned behaviors from others of its kind.

[dbzfan7]

Pretty sure they can but choose not to. Water is all they need.

[Darkprince410]

Going about the whole theory of them being like plants, it's possible that on Namek, since it is always daytime due to the multiple suns, their entire energy requirements can be fulfilled by photosynthesis, and their water (which probably has a fair amount of nutrients in it) is all they require. On Earth and other planets, where there's a day and a night, in order to fulfill their energy requirements they need to find an outside source of energy rather than relying solely on their own internal mechanisms to produce energy, thus their need to eat. Granted, this is just a theory, but it works in my opinion.

[Daimakku]

Going about the whole theory of them being like plants, it's possible that on Namek, since it is always daytime due to the multiple suns, their entire energy requirements can be fulfilled by photosynthesis, and their water (which probably has a fair amount of nutrients in it) is all they require. On Earth and other planets, where there's a day and a night, in order to fulfill their energy requirements they need to find an outside source of energy rather than relying solely on their own internal mechanisms to produce energy, thus their need to eat. Granted, this is just a theory, but it works in my opinion.

It would be interesting to see Dende eat something while being the guardian of Earth, even though he's used to not have to eat anything since he was on Namek. I remember Bulma, Gohan and Krillin offering him something to eat but he said he didn't need that stuff. Doesn't Kami's lookout have its own kitchen and stuff? If that isn't for Mr. Popo, then it must've been for Kami.

[Smochi]

I wonder if eating is seen as a shameful act to namekians. Since they don't need food, if thy are eating it is obviously only for the pleasure gained by doing so. That's pretty hedonistic, and I could totally see that as being a source of judgement in every day life on Namek. Kind of like how the fitness culture in America admonishes junk food.