That change was made in version 1.00.04. See the readme.txt file. I prefer it. In the early versions They'd perhaps prepare a meal at the beginning of the game and their "Fed" bar would always stay high, so long as the fridge was stocked up with food. We'd never see them preparing or eating a meal later. When the peeps begin to get a little hungry now they'll start preparing a meal.
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To err is human; to arr is pirate.