Spoiled food inevitable?

I know the fridge gives 50% more life and the salt card max gives 90%. But I'm missing something or I just don't like the game design. My problem is I've stared cooking better recipes than the starter ones and now the spoiled food is starting to effect me more. These recipes require you to go to different places around the map and farm the ingredients. It's not just some mole rat or mutt chops anymore. But now you dedicate the time to farm and you take away from xp grinding or questing, only to have your product spoil hours later? It just doesn't seem worth it to me. Having to loose 3 points in a damage build for the salt card ain't cool either. But if someone spends 30 mins going to and fro to cook so buff foods, we ought to at least get to utilize that food when we log back in ...or am I doing it wrong?