I started playing a new world/character after the update, as the devs recommended, and I'm currently at upper mountain biome. I really like the changes they made in the food system.

Normally I tank with high health foods, and that really helped at the beginning. Being able to eat two meats at the start made early game very easy IMO. That also progressed through swamp with progressively better food to boost health.

Now, in mountain, I find that I don't need as much health (they really need to buff something in mountain to make it harder), but I do need stamina to climb mountains, and having that flexibility is great!

I haven't used the puke berries yet, but I can see why they added them.

I've started inching into plains, but have only killed a few dethsquitoes, which was just as easy as before update. I'll try fullings at some point.

So far, everything has been easier, so, unless something drastic happens in plains, I don't understand what the complaints are about.

FWIW, plains became too easy before the update anyways, so I hope there's a bit more of a challenge.