Tips in Cooking for Chemo Patients

Cooking can be quite satisfying.  When you cook for friends and family it’s even better, because you can see the joy in their faces.  The best is when you break out your brand new Wusthof knives and going crazy withe cooking!  But this article is on a different note, because we will be discussing cooking for sick people.

Chemotherapy patients often undergo side effects during the treatment that include food aversions, nausea, sensitivity to meals, appetite loss, difficulty in swallowing, mouth sores, and strange tastes.  Getting the right nutrients makes it harder for these patients.  It is recommended that they consume at least five to six times a day tasty and small protein and calorie-rich meals.

The following are tips in cooking for patients that undergo chemotherapy:

Dishes that are dry should be avoided to keep the patient’s mouth of getting dry;

Fatty and greasy foods should be avoided to prevent stomach upset;

Nausea from unwanted smells can be avoided by serving food at room temperature;

When mouth sores develop, it is better to avoid citrus fruits and tomatoes;

Stay away from alcohol that causes drying of the mouth;

Stay away from spicy foods, chocolate, caffeine, fruits and vegetables, coarse whole grains, milk products if suffering from diarrhea;

Consume foods with low-fiber like rice, bananas, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, and applesauce;

Increase the amount of intake of fiber and drink plenty of liquids when a patient suffers constipation;

Patients’ taste buds are affected and result to acquiring a metallic taste.  Prior to eating, patients should suck mint or lemon drop to perk up the flavor of the dish.  Plastic spoons and forks should be utilized instead of metal utensils;

Combine 1 teaspoon baking soda to 8 oz. glass of baking soda as a mouth rinse.  The patient should swish and gargle in their mouth the prepared solution and then spit.  This should be done several times a day to make the mouth refreshed;

Cooking should be done outside the patients’ home in order to avoid the onset of nausea.  Food prepared at room temperature is preferable for patients undergoing chemotherapy;

It is recommended to consult a health care professional for the dietary needs and restrictions of the patient.

Here is a video with more info: