I signed up to deliver food to a friend w/ testicular cancer: he's gluten-free and lactose-intolerant.

What would you cook for him? Butter is okay in the context of cooking and a little cheese is okay. I'm delivery to the hospital, so I'm not sure if it has to be ready to eat, semi-ready to eat, or frozen. I'm supposed to call in advance to determine his appetite (it's all organized by his friends and family through a great website), so I want to make him something really yummy and healthy. Help!

AAK
  • Posted by: AAK
  • November 2, 2012
  • 2652 views
  • 6 Comments

6 Comments

Suellen November 5, 2012
Ask him what he wants. When you're sick and taking all kinds of medications, you may want particular things because your taste can be all off. That said, I'm a big fan of veggie beef soup when I'm sick. It's never a bad thing to have a bunch of nice clear stock on hand if someone in undergoing chemo.
 
AAK November 2, 2012
You have all been SO helpful, I really appreciate it.
 
ATG117 November 2, 2012
http://food52.com/recipes/19408_vegan_lentil_shepherds_pie_with_parsnip_and_and_potato_mash
 
ATG117 November 2, 2012
I'd ask what his food preferences are. People's tastes change during chemo, and if you can make him something he's craving, it will probably be all the more appreciated and likely to get eaten. Absent that, this came to mind.
 
Kenzi W. November 2, 2012
That's so nice of you! A few ideas:

http://food52.com/recipes/19441_yeswecanhavesweet_potatoesfordinner_salad (the cheese can easily be left off, and an added grain might be nice too, like quinoa)
http://food52.com/recipes/2434_one_pot_kale_and_quinoa_pilaf (again, no cheese)
Or a soup would be nice, too: http://food52.com/recipes/search?q=soup
 
fiveandspice November 2, 2012
A nice hearty soup with vegetables and some chicken or sausage would be good. Or a good stir fry with broccoli, sweet potatoes, and grass fed beef maybe? (leafy greens, orange vegetables, few grains, and grass fed meats or fish, plus lots of healthy fats - coconut, grass fed butter, avocado are all really good for cancer patients). If you want to steer clear of butter, using coconut oil for the cooking is a good alternative, especially for a cancer patient as coconut oil is anti-inflammatory. Fish is really healthy and anti-inflammatory, but harder to transport. You might also want to consider making some smoothies with berries and avocado and coconut or almond milk. It's a good way to get down a lot of nutrients when someone doesn't have much appetite. Also yummy and nice and nutrient dense for a little treat would be to make little "truffles" by blending together dates, cocoa powder, and almond butter until it's the consistency of thick ganache and rolling them into balls.
 
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