Thankfully, the forage salad from that 'empty' lot was filling! Even though I didn't get a chance to grab extra for back up rations, I'll hang on to my pistol with 8 rounds of ammo and choose Option 1, trying to continue without trading.
I feel strong enough to continue for a couple days more before worrying about eating. I'll mark Day 4 as my deadline for finding food.
Now to hope she was telling the truth and I can make a safe departure...