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In the Alien series, specifically Prometheus and Alien: Covenant movies, I don’t remember the ‎alien creatures eating anything or their food regimen being mentioned. They're stubborn and angry creatures that just know how to attack, hunt, and lay ‎eggs in order to multiply as many as they can, building a great den and colony in dark, dirty, and remote places.

I’m sure I didn’t see any scene about the ‎Xenomorph eating human flesh in the movies, so how do they survive and live while they’re ‎very active predators? Shouldn't they eat the meat of every ‎kind of prey? They're big and need a lot of food for their metabolism. They have sharp teeth like ‎carnivores. Isn't this proof that they use them for eating and chewing meat and flesh?‎

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    Same question on SFF
    – Jenayah
    Mar 15, 2019 at 13:11
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    According Ash they can also polarize Silicone "He has a funny habit of shedding his cells and replacing them with polarised silicone, which gives him a prolonged resistance" Unless they eat humans with boob implants one can assume they eat non organic minerals too Mar 15, 2019 at 16:15
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    @MikeyMouse Probably actually silicon, which is the main constituent of soil and many rocks. The extra "e" difference between "silicon" and "silicone" is significant!
    – Graham
    Mar 15, 2019 at 18:01

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So, canonically, it is uncertain whether or not the Xenomorphs actually eat, or if they are just powered by their blood, but there are certain examples in the movies which we can refer to to determine whether or not they actually eat.

  • In Alien we don't see much of the Xenomorph's behavior beyond it attacking. It can be noted that it does kill with its headbite, which might be considered eating, but we can't be sure.
  • In Aliens, we see the long dead remains of the colonists, which don't seem to be damaged by Xenomorph consumption, however, most of them are embedded in the walls of the hive, so it may be hidden.
  • In Alien3, we get the first canonical evidence of a Xenomorph eating. There is a scene during the foundry chase where one of the inmates discovers the Runner Xenomorph feeding on the body of another inmate. Also, Golic says that the creature "feeds on minds" although this is most likely how he viewed a headbite through his delusions.
  • In Sea of Sorrows it is noted that the hosts of the Xenomorphs had been consumed.

Non-canon depictions

  • In AVP: Requiem Xenomorphs were shown feeding on the bodies of their victims
  • In the Aliens: Labyrinth comics, we are shown a look inside of a hive, and, if memory serves me right, we see Xenomorphs feeding on people.
  • While not the adults, there have been several examples of Chestbursters consuming their hosts after they emerge in the comics.
  • In the novelization of Alien and, I believe a scene that was intended to be in the film, there's a scene where the crew finds out that the creature was in the pantry and ate food.
  • In the Aliens vs Predator 2 videogame, there is a part in the alien campaign in which you eat a cat, although you are in the chestburster stage at this point.

Conclusion

Even with all the evidence pointing towards the fact that they do eat, it is important to note that Xenomorphs can last without food for an incredibly long time, which is evidence that, if they do need to eat, they don't actually need to while in hibernation.

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    Sea of Sorrows is a only a book right? Mar 15, 2019 at 15:03
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    @TankorSmash yes, but it is considered canon Mar 15, 2019 at 16:43
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    "they are just powered by their blood". Huh?
    – RonJohn
    Mar 15, 2019 at 21:07
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    Their blood acts as a battery, and provides them the energy to move. Here is a link showing the wiki, which has a citation where the information comes from. Mar 15, 2019 at 21:11
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    I don't buy it. In "Alien" it grows from the size of a little snake to more than human size. All from an ounce of blood? Pardon my disbelief, which I will not suspend.
    – Jens
    Mar 16, 2019 at 18:05

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