Going 100% wild - My month on a foraged food diet

This April, I’m stepping outside my comfort zone in a big way! I’ve joined WildBiome, a citizen science research project where I’ll be eating only wild foraged food for the entire month. No bread, no pasta, no coffee (argh!), just what can be gathered from the land. 

Why am I doing this?

Well, apart from the obvious challenge (and yes, I do love a challenge), this project is a fascinating look at the impact of wild food on gut health and overall wellbeing. 

Researchers from the University of Bradford (UK) and the University of Rzeszów (Poland) will be gathering data on the microbiome and other key health markers to understand how eating only wild food affects the body.

It’s an exciting opportunity to be involved with a huge group of incredibly knowledgeable people, all doing the same thing at the same time. It’s also a chance for me, as a forager, to really practice what I preach; to rely fully on nature and see just how feasible it is to live off the land in today’s world.

Why does this matter?

Food security, obesity, effects of ultra-high processed foods, access to land, nature depletion, loss of biodiversity, taking control of our own health & wellbeing - these are hot topics & this project gets to the heart of it.

What am I nervous about?

No caffeine, no sugar, no crisps… in short, no convenience food. Foraging is already a huge part of my life, but finding enough time to gather enough food to sustain me will be a whole new level of challenge. Then there’s the small issue of my non-foraging family, who have no interest in living off “weeds” and aren’t exactly jumping at the chance to cook for themselves!

Follow Along!

Follow me on insta @joyfuloutdoors to stay updated on my highs and lows as I progress, and get in touch with any questions!

What is the Wildbiome project (version 2)? 

Wildbiome is a citizen science research project being conducted in partnership with the University of Bradford and Rzeszów University, Poland, to track changes in the human gut microbiome and general health when eating only wild food. 

In spring 2026, a group of 100 foragers will be eating only wild food for a period of 3 months or 1 month and testing their health and gut, in order to determine the differences between that and a modern shop-based diet. 

This will be a fascinating piece of science and contribute hugely to the debate around gut health. The results will be published in late 2026, and will be covered by BBC's Dan Saladino (The Food Programme, BBC Radio 4).