organizing meals

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  • #61866
    mmking
    Spectator

    Hi Melissa-

    Finding food that was appealing to my mom was also a challenge when she started chemo. Thankfully she does have a huge network of friends and neighbors who brought meals (tons of soups, so she could freeze if she had excess) We found that when we kids were (and are) around – if she had ANY incling of a food craving- we would immediatly run out and buy that. And believe me, she had some odd cravings of stuff that she normally (pre CC) would not eat.

    Its a toss up at this point to either eat healthy or just eat to be able to sustain weight. Weight loss can be an issue.

    A website that i found and really like for Healthy Cancer fighting food and meals is:
    http://www.eattodefeat.org

    I am not sure what age your parents are, but there is also Meals on wheels you could look into.

    Places like Trader Joes have some selection of interesting prepared food as well.

    Good Luck!

    #61865
    jtoro
    Member

    Hello,
    My neighbors,friends,and church people are using the site mealtrain.com for our family for two years. My cousin set up the calendar on this website with everyone’s email. They can pick an open date and sign up. They bring a meal each Thursday night at 6:00. We put ideas of what foods we like and can eat in this site. When a month runs out, she adds a couple more. This has been so nice. Even if I’m not up to eating my family is hungry. If people don’t want to cook they get take out for us, but not fast food. They may get California Pzza Kitchen, etc… There is also a place for me to address them on this site. Most of the time it’s too much food and we eat some for leftovers.
    Jtoro

    #61864
    melissapalma
    Spectator

    Thanks. I will check those websites out and pass along the food suggestions as well.

    It is not just that she isn’t finding anything that is appetizing, which is true. But my father is 76 (as of Saturday) and doesn’t know how to turn an oven on. Seriously. So making comfort food, or any food at all is not really an option for him. And just the thought of buying food and preparing food and eating food is so un-appetizing for my mom that they are just buying fast food or food at restaurants every day which is cumulatively unhealthy.

    My brother and sister-in-law live 2 miles from her and are already cooking for 3 boys (8, 12 and almost 16 year old sons) so maybe I should ask if they can drop off meals one night a week. And once school is out for me in another week, I will have more time to cook for her as well.

    In the meantime, and frankly throughout the whole process so we can be sustainable, I will look at those websites and see if I can get some of her friends to pitch in more.

    Tiffany, do you have friends or neighbors who have said, “Let me know what I can do to help” or “Just let me know if you need anything”? If so, I think this is an easy thing for people to do to help and when people say that they want to help, I believe they really mean it!

    A friend said to me to ask the parents at my school (I am a teacher and director at a small school where my kids also go to school) if they could make my kids lunches for a couple weeks until school is out. So I asked and every Tuesday and Thursday I have different families packing lunches for my kids. It has been wonderfully helpful to have 1 less thing to have to do right now.

    Melissa

    #61863
    kris00j
    Spectator

    Melissa:
    There is a website called lotsahelpinghands. I don’t know if it’s .com or .org. I can’t remember. But you can send it to all your email contacts and they can sign up. You can ask for anything and ask for help. And they can go online and sign up for the days.
    Just ask them to put what they are making. I think that works.

    There’s another one called takethemameal.com. But I can’t remember how that worked. I think that might be more what you are looking for?? I think this one was REALLY easy.

    I hope this helps and I’m sorry you are in a position where you need it. Good luck.

    And Tiffany, All you had to do was ask!!

    Hugs!

    #61862
    lainy
    Spectator

    Hi Melissa. I found that Teddy did best with comfort foods. We had just about stopped eating out. He loved homemade chicken soup which I would fill chock full of noodles and diced up chicken. Scrambled eggs and fill with cheese like an omlette. Jello, applesauce, buttered noodles. He did not want meats other than chicken. Turkey sandwiches. Campbells makes a good noodle soup and I add just 1/2 can of water. I am just jabbing at my brain here, not following any order. His favorite nutrition shake was Carnation Instant Breakfast and I would blend in a banana with the vanilla one. This shake can totally take the place of any meal and have all the nutrients Mom would need. I thought it would be hard for my Sicilian to give up red sauce but he just didn’t want it. Grilled cheese, Raman soup, baked potatoes. Oatmeal, Cream of wheat. Just think comfort food. Also small portions as when the plate is too full that turns them right off as they feel, OH I can’t eat all this.

    #61861
    tiff1496
    Member

    This is a good idea!
    I wish I had some advice. We are living off fast food, and I’m sick of it! But I just don’t have the energy to cook much. =( I will be following this post for sure!

    #6918
    melissapalma
    Spectator

    Hi.

    Just got home from round 3 of chemo with my mom and she is still not eating much (even with one week off of chemo) and when she does eat, my dad picks up food at restaurants. I know it is fatty and not so healthy so I want to organize a meal system for my mom. I know she has friends and I will get their emails from her but do any of you use a website or Google docs to organize meals? There are so many online it is mind boggling. I am looking for suggestions.

    Thanks,

    Melissa

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