Hearty food truly is broken imo, and seems like you know it as well since you prioritize durians. Hearty elixers are much more reasonable, and it really forces you to balance your health and stamina.

But I do highly recommend giving it a try! I’ve been a huge fan, in fact I mostly only ever play the game this way anymore. Especially without fast travel, it makes you pay more attention to the world and lets you appreciate new little details all the time.