If you make the stew that fills health (Orange blossom & 2 purple flowers), you can hop all your villagers health levels to capacity! When your food is about to run out, go ahead & get the herbs in the cauldron & make those punk kids gather 'shrooms! Oh yeah, the red 'shrooms are worth more that the brown ones!!
The only thing that sucks is that the Villagers won't got to the pot on their own, you have to take them all one by one!