Rebecca Katz’s Tips for Friends and Family

Chances are you are reading this because you’d like to prepare a nourishing meal for someone you know who is either about to begin treatment or already receiving treatment for cancer. But you don’t know what to make him or her, or maybe even how to broach the subject.

Rebecca Katz, the author of “One Bite at a Time” (Celestial Arts), the pioneering guide to cooking tasty and nourishing food for people with cancer, has some specific advice on this topic. In fact, she devotes a whole chapter of “One Bite at a Time” to helping family and friends become what she terms effective “culinary caregivers.”

“People tend not to reach out to people who are going through cancer because their emotions get in the way,” says Katz, who is senior chef at the Commonweal Cancer Help Program in Bolinas, Calif., one of the most highly respected cancer wellness programs in the country. “Instead, it’s important to push past emotions to let that person know you would like to bring them a bite to eat,” Katz says.

Here is some specific guidance Katz has to offer friends and family who would like to help out with food and in general:

• Realize that cooking for someone with cancer isn’t the same as cooking for someone who is healthy. Cancer and cancer treatments may affect a person’s taste buds, digestion, and energy levels. “One week they won’t want to touch food; the next week, they may be eating like a linebacker,” Katz says. These appetite swings can be frustrating to caregivers. However, it doesn’t mean your special someone doesn’t want nourishment on the days he or she doesn’t feel like eating. He or she may just want something lighter like a few sips of tea or broth.
• Ask what sounds good to that person and have this conversation often if you’re cooking for them regularly, Katz advises. “Recognize that the foods someone craves at the beginning of treatment may not be the same ones she craves at the end,” Katz says. “Ask about textures, too, because textures are a huge part of taste. You can start off by asking, ‘Do you want something smooth and soft or would you like something crispy and crunchy to eat?’ ” Also, don’t expect someone who is in treatment to eat on a regular schedule. The idea of breakfast, lunch, and dinner at regular times no longer applies. Anytime a cancer patient wants to eat anything, consider that very good news, Katz says.
• Work with your friend and his or her family and friends to ensure that he or she has  many different small meals on hand at all times in the freezer or fridge. This will ensure that he or she can easily find something satisfying to eat when hunger strikes. These meals can range from light fare, such as soups and broth, to heartier dishes—such as stews and casseroles. Store these meals in handy 2-cup and 4-cup plastic containers, Katz advises. This will eliminate the need for your friend to have to worry about cleaning and returning dishes to their respective owners. Small containers of food also are better suited to fluctuating appetites.
• Consider helping form a “culinary support team,” if your friend or loved one doesn’t already have one. Having a large support team means no one gets burned out emotionally or physically, Katz says. People can come and go as their schedules allow. Another reason to have a large support team is to split up the chores. Someone who doesn’t like to cook may not mind grocery shopping, for example. Another advantage to having such a team is that it allows someone who is sick to participate as much or as little as they want.
• When it comes time to serve food, serve it on smaller plates so you’re not putting a big plate in front of the patient. “Seeing a big plate of food can be overwhelming for some patients,” Katz says. She recommends serving soup in small bowls.
• If you don’t like to cook but want to help out, there are many other things you can do to brighten your friend’s daily life besides cook, Katz says. Consider bringing a movie or music CD to share or a bright beautiful bowl for your friend to eat soup in. Katz encourages family and friends to be creative. “Find those things that nourish your own soul and bring them to the kitchen of someone who is going through a tough time.”
• Remember, too, you don’t have to be the Galloping Gourmet or a wizard with a knife to prepare delicious meals using fresh herbs and spices. “Learning to cook with fresh herbs and spices is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets,” Katz says. To find some recipes from Rebecca Katz’s book “One Bite at a Time,” click here. To learn more about Rebecca Katz, visit her website: www.innercook.com.