Recipes for chemo

Furbuster
Furbuster Posts: 254 Member
edited November 19 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hello

My partner is starting chemo next week and is losing weight fast. He has trouble swallowing and we need recipes for mega high calorie foods/ drinks. Preferably nutritious and easily digestible/ to swallow. But calories and taste the most important. Not overly sweet as he hasn't a sweet tooth. Thankyou :)

Replies

  • janiep81
    janiep81 Posts: 248 Member
    Avocados!
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Sorry to hear that. Can he get a referral to a dietician?

    An easy way to get extra cals is just to add lots of fat - butter, oils, PB, avocados, nuts etc. I'm not entirely sure if protein should be kept low (?) but if not, adding things like Peanutbutter, Nutella or flaxseed to protein shakes can deliver a lot of calories and pretty easy to get down.

    You could make hearty soups like lentil or broth - adding cream will pack in the calories.

    Again, I definitely think it's worth seeing if you can get a referral to a dietician. I'd be inclined to let nutrition take a back seat to calories, packing in stuff like sweets and icecream but a professional may tell you different.
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,286 Member
    what about shakes with peanut butter or banana? Not too sweet, add some meal replacement powder for calories. Sort of unrelated, but if they give him zofran for the vomiting it will constipate him like mad so try to include fiber also, or even see if he will take miralax occasionally you can mix it into anything.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Is ice cream an option?

    If not I would look into some of the mass gainer shakes that GNC and what not sell. Or you could make your own with protein powder, milk, peanut butter, fruits, etc….

    sorry to hear about your partner
  • Furbuster
    Furbuster Posts: 254 Member
    Yeah he has tried the ice cream/ milkshake route but unlike me doesn't have a sweet tooth :D We are looking for savoury inspiration really - different types of recipe :)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Furbuster wrote: »
    Yeah he has tried the ice cream/ milkshake route but unlike me doesn't have a sweet tooth :D We are looking for savoury inspiration really - different types of recipe :)

    then I would look into the mass gainer shakes that I mentioned…or try to make something on your own out of calorie dense sources…..
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    edited June 2015
    Here's my lentil,x9daxt7mgsk1.jpg

    I'm a bit lazy with soup but if you swapped out the stock cube for some actual ham, you could add an extra 2/300 cals to that recipe (that's one bowl).

    scotch broth made with lamb or beef (beyond my culinary skills) would be even higher. Chowders made with fish and cream would be higher again. I'd try googling soup recipes.

    The highest calorie 'meals' I can think of are carbonara (pasta, egg yolks, garlic, bacon, double cream) and chicken satay (chicken and a peanut buttery marinade thingy).
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    • Rice
    • Chicken and eggs are easy to digest
    • Protein shakes with 1000+ calories per serving (Look at GNC or Vitamin Shoppe)
    • Add olive oil to everything you can
    • Avocados
    • Bananas
    • Bread

    Also, talk to his oncologist about Zofran and digestive enzymes.

  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Sorry to hear about your partner. When my mother was going through chemo, I found that she had better success with drinks and also snacking. You could make something like Chai Tea with full fat milk (if they can handle full fat) - it's not that sweet and maybe some mass gainer protein powder in it. I would also have calorie dense snacks available such as nuts and seeds or even pastries. People going through chemo often get a dry mouth, so something that goes down easy so to speak may be preferable.

    I notice that you said he was not a fan of ice cream - you could try a few that are on the less sweet side.

    On the meal side, some things to consider are meals that are heavy on cream and oils (maybe with a fatty fish like salmon or trout. Add things like avocados and bacon to meals where you can. Use hemp seeds (they are very nutrient and calorie dense). Mashed potatoes with butter and sour cream and some cheese. Quiche with lots of cheese and bacon. Just some random thoughts.
  • Furbuster
    Furbuster Posts: 254 Member
    Thanks everyone for their tips very helpful :) - this mass gainer protein powder stuff. Can you add it to savoury stews and soups/ mash etc ?
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Furbuster wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for their tips very helpful :) - this mass gainer protein powder stuff. Can you add it to savoury stews and soups/ mash etc ?

    A lot of brands do unflavoured versions - these are ideal for incorporating into existing dishes and the like. Not sure where you're located, but myprotein does weightgainers that come in unflavoured. If you're in UK/europe check them out. I'm sure others will know more about US stuff

    Wish you both every success!
  • abelcat1
    abelcat1 Posts: 186 Member
    Look into recipes with dried beans and peas....like hummus, dhals ect.... very yúmmi and dense in nutrients. Good luck with everything.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    I'm nearly a five year survivor of late stage and have many on my FL which had many different cocktails of chemo. PM me if yah want am I'm quite sure I can help. This offer stands for anybody seeking advice or just an ear to bend.

    It might help what kind of chemo or cancer if you don't know the name of the chemo. Since different chemos can have totally different side effects on the digestive system, possible nausea, change of taste buds(tastes like metal). If he is having radiation, going to want to drink plenty of water as that will dry you out quickly.

    I general bananas are easy on the stomach but not high on calories. Protein shakes are pretty hard to keep down especially if he has nausea. If a dietician isn't available to him, talk to the nurses/oncologist and they will have a lot of this info not to mention some sort of package of info that will have useful info.

    Generally a patient is to stay away from sweets, but sometimes that rule is ignored if the weight loss is too rapid and/or there is a lot of surgeries planned along with the treatments. Which goes back to talking to Oncologist, mine had me eat anything.

    Hope the best for you both and a smooth and easiest possible treatments.
  • karenholst68
    karenholst68 Posts: 2 Member
    All kinds of cancers run in my family. I think I've helped every kind of "chemo-soldier" there is! Really, the easiest thing is to find ALL kinds of canned goods you and your partner think he might like and start trying them out. Yes, many are high in sodium, but many can be diluted with water or can be found with 'reduced sodium' labels. Variety is the key to keep eating. Instant mashed potato flakes can be added to anything heated up, including broths that you can also find in the soup aisle, or warm milk. Keep in mind that grits, oatmeal and cream of wheat can be cooked plain-try a little butter or milk or cream instead of sugar. Now for the kicker-baby foods!! Yes, I know that this sounds odd, but BABY FOODS are low in sugar, high in nutrition, and just the right serving size. Eat small and often and have nibbles available in colorful ice cube trays and the weight will stabilize quickly:)
  • rachael00679
    rachael00679 Posts: 186 Member
    Steriods are your partners friend.
    My mother and father both passed away recently from that insidious piece of crap disease.
    If he is not on steroids with his chemo speak to his dr about this as an option. It helped my parents tremendously with their appetite during treatment.
    I wish you and yours well.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Depending on his doctors and the treatment plan, you can add more fats and oils to your cooking in order to increase the calories
    For example, make a high protein/high fat shake.
    Good luck to him.
  • Furbuster
    Furbuster Posts: 254 Member
    edited June 2015
    Thankyou all for your help. I'm going to show him this thread. It has been interesting and useful. Appreciated X
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Creamy soups, mashed potatoes with cheese and butter, nut butters, savoury pancakes?
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited June 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • jonnyman41
    jonnyman41 Posts: 1,032 Member
    coconut milk base for mild Thai chicken or fish broths, (without heated spice) very fattening but easy to eat
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    I'm a little late, but look into Soylent (yes, it's people, we know the joke). https://www.soylent.com/

    It was developed to replace food entirely. A scientist developed it more as a theory of what it would take to provide a completely liquid diet, but once he found there was a demand for it, he decided to sell it.

    Also, there are tons of do it yourself recipes, although y'all will probably be short of free time, so buying it directly may be the easiest option for you.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories