Wild food diary - 30 days on a foraged diet - @Wildbiome

Wildbiome Challenge: Day 1 – And so it begins!

The sun is shining, and after six months of anticipation, I’m relieved to finally dive into this challenge! No more holding back on my stored food, I can actually start using it. But have I prepared enough? Will I like what I’m eating? How will it feel living with my family while they eat ‘normal’ food? Already, I’m learning that every drop, every morsel is precious. Breakfast was a shaky start - burnt pendulous sedge pancakes, saved by a tiny swipe of tallow. But my first taste of sea buckthorn juice? Incredible. As I wrestle with nettle pasta dough and realise just how much time foraging, prepping, and cooking will take, I remind myself: this is all part of the journey.

Day 1:

• Breakfast: pendulous sedge seed, whisked egg white & a dash of honey made into pancakes.

• Lunch: pan -fried venison on a bed of wild garlic, with burdock chips and a cuckoo flower garnish.

• Supper: nettle pasta

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).