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Alexis Nikole Nelson: How Foraging Restored My Relationship With Food

Alexis Nikole Nelson is behind the popular TikTok and Instagram videos based on her experience and advice on foraging. (Photo by Tim Johnson)
Tim Johnson/Columbus Monthly
/
Columbus Monthly Magazine
Alexis Nikole Nelson is behind the popular TikTok and Instagram videos based on her experience and advice on foraging. (Photo by Tim Johnson)

Part 1 of TED Radio Hour episode The Food Connection

Forager and TikTok influencer Alexis Nikole Nelson shares how the great outdoors has offered her both an endless array of food options and an outlet to reconnect with her food and her culture.

About Alexis Nikole Nelson

Alexis Nikole Nelson is a forager who runs a popular TikTok account about foraging under @alexisnikole.

She has always been a self-taught student of foraging, but she only became an active forager once she graduated college in 2015 and needed a cheap and sustainable way to incorporate fruits and greens into her diet.

Alexis later started a personal TikTok account where she showcased herself collecting and cooking everything from acorns to yellow dandelions. Her account currently has over 2 million followers.

She is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Please note: If done incorrectly, foraging can pose serious risks. Those who choose to pursue foraging should conduct thorough research from multiple credible sources, consult experts, and exercise caution.

This segment of TED Radio Hour was produced by Katie Monteleone and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. Fiona Geiran contributed to the research and digital production of this piece. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Katie Monteleone
Katie Monteleone is a producer for TED Radio Hour. She started out as an intern for the show in January 2019. After her internship, Monteleone began producing for Life Kit before returning to the TED Radio Hour team in October 2019 as a full-time producer.
Sanaz Meshkinpour
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
Fiona Geiran
[Copyright 2024 NPR]