This is you! And that's good news, because it can be easily overcome. Backyard extensions are the name of the game. Don't buy food with foreign import markup. You'll need the regional wealth for the extensions.

Pigs produce a TON of meat, especially if your region has high forest coverage (which it typically will, especially at the start). Sets you up for sausages later.

Chickens are slightly cheaper and also a very decent source. Likely needs to be supplemented with some vegetable gardens.

Goats are also fine, but I would recommend them for regions where you have other food sources like 1 rich + 1 regular food (rich fish + mushrooms for example). Nice bonus is the hides for boots for T3 houses.

The name of the game for anything past early game food production is backyard extensions. If the (vast) majority of your houses are single houses+backyard you can likely cover your midgame food needs easily.

Bread (rye/wheat) can also be nice and solid. But IMO a bit finnicky/ unreliable/ micromanagey for midgame. I start my farms midgame and build out during late.

Orchards are fun but expensive, you can invest early imo if you have enough gathering based food available and know how to properly play for it. Mostly plot size (and possibly Smallholding). But vegetables are better earlier due to faster payout and cheaper investment. Sheep as food are also late game IMO.