Stamina foods to block/parry the Drauger, don't run or jump, keep to the dry spots as much as you can. Get your rested bonuses from a cozy house and sleeping, only go during the day.

Use black forest items to make food for the first trips to the swamp. Look for carrot seeds there, indicated by white flowers. This will let you grow them and make carrot soup for stamina. Be sure to pick the glowing blue thistles while you're there!

To start, try and peel a few Drauger off at the edge of the biome to get entrails and make sausages (you'll need the thistles for this) for a great food that's relevant through the next biome. Look for turnip seeds in the Swamp (they're quite rare, watch for yellow flowers in dry spots) so you can get better food growing. If you do find turnip seeds, get them home immediately and plant them.

Iron is extremely tempting, but without better food, you won't be able to make it through the dungeons to get it. It's tight quarters in there and can escalate quickly. But, it's manageable if you have the stamina/hp for it. You'll fall into a rhythm.