when i first start, i get one person to find food, one to research, one to build. but by the time i have enough tech points to buy the tech items, my food is depleted. so while they are building a dam, they have no food.

ive fished and got the coconuts. but is there a food source im missing?

I never let my villagers work on the hut until after the dam is built. I usually have one fishing and 2 researching (then 3 when the first kid turns 14). I also don't start breeding until there is a growing food supply, and I usually never need the coconuts to feed my tribe, but they are there if things get dicey.

You can find a lot of strategies in this thread, which was started by a person who had trouble keeping villagers alive.

ok i just found a cauldron as well, does the stew go as food?

Yes, your villagers can eat the stew.

ok i added water and now when i put soemone near it, it says the villages have too little food for that.

Have you been gathering the mushrooms? They are the only way I've been able to get through the "lean times".

A stew takes 10 food points to make. However, it lasts longer than the 10 points would last if in the food bin.

When i first start I find getting ALL of your adults to swim for fish, thats all they do until the sea gets algea, that way you have a hoard of fish, then build the dam, they'll have enough food to get half way through or completely through, when it runs low, buy coconuts

Ummmmm, can you really BUY coco's or is it just a figure of speech, anyhow thanks for the tips!

you cannot buy coconuts.