Meals to take to chemo patients?

My neighbor, the twins mom, was just diagnosed w cancer, Liposarcoma in her abdomen. She’s in the hospital and they started chemo right away. Her out of town in-laws are there to help out, but obviously can’t stay long term.

She will be coming home this weekend (another round of chemo is scheduled for St. Patrick’s Day) and I was wondering what meals I might make for her specifically to help keep her strength up and might be able to tolerate while feeling nauseated.

Also, some freezer meals I might make for her husband and kids.

Their taste run mostly to standard American fare meals and nothing spicy.

No personal experience, but here is a link for suggested recipes from a cancer support group:

A few refrigerator & pantry items for nausea for those times when a meal simply isn't wanted. Dry crackers, herbal teas, ginger, etc

Maybe kits (like taco meals, with all the separate elements, (like cooked meat, shredded cheese, etc) that the kids & dad can pull together) might make for a more family-oriented dinner time.

Dense chicken broth.
Dense vegetablel broth
Dense beef broth.

Portioned out cooked pasta or rice and mini meatballs to add to the broths.

Sincere wishes for a quick and successful recovery.

marilynfl said:

No personal experience, but here is a link for suggested recipes from a cancer support group:

https://www.cancersupportcommunity.org/recipe-gallery

A few refrigerator & pantry items for nausea for those times when a meal simply isn't wanted. Dry crackers, herbal teas, ginger, etc

Maybe kits (like taco meals, with all the separate elements, (like cooked meat, shredded cheese, etc) that the kids & dad can pull together) might make for a more family-oriented dinner time.

Dense chicken broth.
Dense vegetablel broth
Dense beef broth.

Portioned out cooked pasta or rice and mini meatballs to add to the broths.

Sincere wishes for a quick and successful recovery.

Click to expand...

I like Marilyn's idea of the mini meatballs and it reminded me of this soup that I made last weekend. The meatballs come together so easily. (except trying to peel the casing off the chicken sausages ) I have subbed panko for the fresh breadcrumbs in a pinch. Scoop out onto a parchment lined baking sheet with a melon baller scoop.

Hope your neighbor beats this terrible disease.

monj said:

I like Marilyn's idea of the mini meatballs and it reminded me of this soup that I made last weekend. The meatballs come together so easily. (except trying to peel the casing off the chicken sausages ) I have subbed panko for the fresh breadcrumbs in a pinch. Scoop out onto a parchment lined baking sheet with a melon baller scoop.

Italian Wedding Soup | Recipes

Italian Wedding Soup from Barefoot Contessa. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic,…

barefootcontessa.com

Hope your neighbor beats this terrible disease.

Click to expand...

Ha, great minds…Italian wedding soup is one of my favorites and was on my list of potential meals.

This is more tips than recipes or recommendations. When I was helping with the Nurture Team at church, we would do meals that met specific nutrient requirements and small portions for the person that was ill. Then we would make larger portions of the same or different dishes especially when smaller children were involved. A lot of it starts with finding out if there are any requirements, allergies, as well as specific likes and dislikes mostly for the person that is ill but also for the kids. I tried to incorporate nutrient dense foods so that small portions were packed with what they need. Also, try to aim for a stronger flavor as treatment often kills their sense of taste. But try to avoid strong smells with baked goods being one exception. Every time our neighbor had a treatment, we would bake him a Dutch apple pie. It wasn't terribly great nutrition wise but it was something that he could and would eat that tasted good to him so better than not eating. Avoid too much fiber but soups that are thicker are better than brothy soups as it sticks to their stomach and doesn't seem to just pass right through so it gives their body a chance to get some nutrition out of it. Instead of flour, I use things like potato flakes to add a little thickness. A chef that cooked for a hospital taught me about a thickener he used that has nutrition but that was probably 15-20 years ago but I am sure you could research and find it. Sores in the mouth can make acidic foods unpleasant to eat. Use some of the high protein things like the Fairlife milks or high protein yogurt - Costco has a high protein Bulgarian yogurt that I got for my post surgery diet. They sampled it with some chili by using it like sour cream and it worked nicely so I got some and have been playing around with it. I am trying to think of the things they have me on for this "Enhanced Surgical Recovery" protocol because it is also used for people on some other types of treatment because things like chemo and radiation mess with the body in similar ways.

Yes, I’ve been trying to think of nutrient dense meals that are sugar free/won’t spike insulin as cancer loves sugar. ive made chicken bone broth and think I’m going to make this cauliflower soup with it bc I read cruciferous vegetables were good for cancer and garlic is both delicious and good for you.

Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

• • 1 head cauliflower
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Chopped parsley, for garnish
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 10 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade

Steps

1. • Steamed Cauliflower with Garlic Butter:
   • Wash and trim the head of cauliflower. Place the cauliflower in a covered pot fitted with steamer over boiling water and steam until tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Remove cauliflower from the pot and set aside on a serving platter.
   • While the cauliflower is steaming, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the chopped garlic. Bring the butter to a low boil and allow the garlic to infuse into the butter for 4-5 minutes. Spoon the garlic butter over the cauliflower, then season with sea salt, pepper and garnish with chopped parsley. Cut into quarters and serve with your favorite meal or follow the directions below to make a delicious soup!
   • Cauliflower Soup:
   • Heat a medium-size stock pot on high, then add olive oil and the shallots. Saute for about 10 minutes until translucent. Add the Steamed Cauliflower with Garlic Butter, making sure to get all the delicious garlic butter and bits into the soup pot. Break the cauliflower into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon as it sautes in the oil with the shallots. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low for about 5 minutes. Using an emulsion blender, puree the soup, leaving some small chunks for texture. Season again with sea salt and pepper. Spoon into bowls and serve.