There will come a day when you are lost in the forest, or even worst, the wild, and you have nothing to eat. Well you have your fingertips, but that is just disgusting, and also a bad habit. Anyway, if you are afraid of finding yourself truly lost and starving then you need to learn about foraging for food. I mean if squirrels can do it…so can you. Let Mother Nature feed you her essence. Why start foraging? Well…food costs are rising, edible plants in nature are free, they give you nutrients, and some are used for medicinal purposes.
Here are some beginner tips on foraging.
- Tip 1: Do not eat everything that you see. Curiosity killed the dumb brat for a reason. Some plants can be poisonous.
- Tip 2: Know what environment you are going to end up hiking. Suit up properly too. Gloves are your friends.
- Tip 3: Bring a bag. Use it to keep your foraging finds.
- Tip 4: Before you eat the plants, test them out to see if they do not upset your stomach and make you plant one in the toilet.
- Tip 5: No seconds, my dear. Let the area you picked plants from have a chance to grow back.
- Tip 6: Stay away from highway, nuclear, and landfill plants.
- Tip 7: Read twice, pick once. That is the foraging motto…for me. Some plants can fool you, so read the books twice and cross-reference it with other plants to make sure you are eating the right one.
- Tip 8: Make sure you are not allergic to specific plants. Rub a bit of it on a small area of your arm and then some on your lips. If you are not dead, then go ahead.
- Tip 9: Be thoughtful. There are some endangered species of plants. Read up and find out which ones they are. The last thing you want is to eat the last one of its kind.
- Tip 10: Do not make a mess. Littering is frowned upon.
- Tip 11: Mushrooms are great to eat, but some can kill you on the spot. Always have a picture book of edible plants or food.
- Tip 12: If you do not know if something is edible then do not collect it.
- Tip 13: Make it a daily routine. Explore different areas to forage for new items.
- Tip 14: Bring a camera to take pictures of plants, fruits, herds, weed, etc. that you find to keep track of what is in your environment.
- Tip 15: Say thank you to Earth for giving you great natural nutrients.
So when you are out and foraging for your food, make sure to follow these tips. Remember that just because Mother Nature is giving you free food; it does not mean that you cannot repay her back. Plant some new seeds or throw some seeds in the wind and let nature take its course.