Cookbook for chemo

I don't have a book to recommend but I can tell you I made a lot of simple homemade soups when I was going through chemo, just anything simple and easy to get down.  Simple mashed potates was something else and scrambled eggs with a little cheese on top.  Granola bars and those little applesauce cups were great too.  Popsicles.  A couple days after my treatments, my appetite would go back to normal and I would eat whatever wanted a lot of days.

During the first couple days after your treatment you will not want anything to eat.  Karen is right, those applesauce, fruit cups and jello cups are great.  Eating is not so important but keeping yourself hydrated is very important.  So having gatorade and popsicles on hand is a start.  You may develope a taste of metal so water is not so desirable.   I also have found that crystalized ginger is great for nausea. 

Carrol, most hospital dieticians have information for eating well during chemo.  And try The American Cancer Society.  I think they publish a booklet on that subject.  Also, although your taste buds will no doubt be very picky during chemo, I highly recommend a book called, Anti-Cancer, A New Way Of Life, by David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., Ph.D.  It's full of great advice for eating healthfully going forward, some of which you could absolutely start to incorporate during chemo.  Good luck!    Deanna

You've got it -- play it by ear, and expect your tastes to change.  My tastes weren't too bad during AC  but during Taxol my tastebuds really took a hit.  As you already know, you need the healthy stuff as you can tolerate it:  fruits and veggies (I could eat very few veggies but most fruits were good) (be careful to wash all well); complex carbs; healthy, low-fat protein.

My oncol was firm that I not try to lose weight during chemo -- your body is going through a lot and needs the nutrition, so he felt it wasn't a good time to restrict my diet.  Not an issue for me as gaining weight was way easier! even though I was eating less than usual.

I don't think that there's food that's bad for you as part of chemo, although the healthier you eat, the better.  I was told to avoid processed soy because I was ER+ but that had nothing to do with chemo.  There are some vitamin supplements and herbals that your oncol. may not want you to take because of concerns that they can interfere with chemo so you'll want to ask about that.

One thing that helped me a lot was ginger in nearly any form -- ginger ale (only with real ginger), ginger capsules, and ginger chewies (from the health food store).  Kept nausea at bay and was very palatable.  But, as has been said, everyone is different.

Best of luck... you'll work it out!

Hi

I second the ginger and the apple sauce---I had ginger sucking candies which really helped with nausea and I also bought the traditional strong "ginger beer) which is not beer but a soda (I found that at Whole Foods).  I also found that aranciata and limonata, the not too sweet, Italian sodas also were good (also bought at Whole Foods).  .  

As for your solid food, it will change. But do try to have some easy to cook things around--you may be tired and microwaving an "amy's meal "(organic) or simply baking a potato may be what you need to do.  I also craved eggs and mac and cheese---not usually in my diet. Because I did not have someone to help with the shopping, I loaded upon alot of things I thought I might want and I was glad I did. It was nice to have them around when I wanted them. 

You will get through this!