Taste and see the goodness of food!
As a kid, I learned quickly that food has the power to make us feel better. For example, a cookie is all it takes to make my six-year-old sister smile when she is mad at me. I could beg her forgiveness, tell her a joke, give her a hug, and she stays mad at me for quite a while. I give her a cookie, and all is forgiven. I suppose God gave us such a connection to food for a reason.
If you have looked at our website, you know that my journey with food started through the kindness of others. Friends and family wanted me and my family to feel better when I battled cancer two years ago, so they brought us food. What else are you going to do when someone is diagnosed with cancer, scared, and hurting? I mean, what do you say? Food is a natural way to communicate with people when the words just aren’t there.
I used to take for granted my food, but I have come to appreciate it more and more. Food is a gift, but the true gift lies under the surface. Food fulfills a need and can make us happy, but I have come to learn that food is much more than that. Food is art, food is work (the kind of work that is good for you), food is medicine, and food is love. My dad says for people to reach the kind of love we are all called to experience, it requires nurturing and effort every day. Similarly, for a meal to reach the height of goodness, it takes just the right amount of nurturing and effort from seed to table. I think mother nature is trying to teach us something so wonderful through our food. We just have to slow down, listen and participate in the creative process. When we do, we get to experience God’s blessings in truly meaningful ways.
My family and I believe food can truly make a positive difference in the fight against cancer. The right food at the right time will result in a well-fed cancer patient, improving their quality of life and improving their chances for recovery between treatments. Moreover, because everything we eat and drink will change the chemistry of our blood, we can positively effect the environment our cells live in by making informed choices with our food and potentially give us a survivor’s edge in our hour of need.
This blog, and the recipes we share, are dedicated to families with young children in the fight against cancer. My mom bravely battled stage IV cancer when I was six, and for those kids with a mom or dad in the fight, this is also for you. When cancer hits a family, it helps to slow down and reflect on life over a family meal. Please join me on your journey, that together, we might taste and see the goodness of food!
Contribute to our blog!
Our blog is open to other food bloggers, writers, nutritionists, chefs and all who want to improve the food experience of families battling childhood cancer. We will focus on creative recipes to help children deal with symptoms, as well as emphasize recipes with nutritional benefits helpful to cancer kids. We hope to enlist those currently and previously impacted by cancer as well. Furthermore, we believe in the power of comfort food to provide impacted families with emotional healing — so yes, food does not always need to have a specific medical and/or nutritional purpose. Sometimes, food just needs to taste really good and communicate love to families when life deals them the cancer blow.
Interested in contributing? We would love to have your contribution. Please use link below to become one of our food blog editors.
RegisterWant to share a recipe with us?
Use link below or on the main menu go to >What’s for Dinner? > Share A Recipe
Share a RecipeSubmit a dish that falls into one of our 8 course categories:
- Smoothie
- Soup
- Salad
- Entree
- Side dish
- Dessert
- Snack
- Other
If you have a story to tell about your dish, please include it in the recipes notes. I will post your recipe in our index and might even create a blog post to talk about your recipe and the story behind it. I will probably cook the dish as well. We will analyze the nutritional benefits and categorize accordingly.
Recipes to deal with Symptoms and Nutritional Needs of Cancer Patients
My hope is that our food blog and recipe index will be a nutritional resource for families battling childhood cancer, both during and after cancer treatments. Furthermore, I want this blog be a resource for people wanting to prepare a meal for drop off to a family they care about. Chemotherapy and radiation will no doubt lead to some unwanted side effects. It is important that we make informed decisions regarding the food kids eat and the unwanted symptoms that creep up. Per the side effects outlined by the American Cancer Society, our recipe index will be organized as follows:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Sore Mouth and Difficulty Swallowing
- Taste Alterations
- Unintentional Weight Loss
Further, because of the food roller coaster cancer and cancer treatments can put a patient through, we hope to identify good recipes that address the unique nutritional needs of those in the cancer fight to include:
- Cancer Fighting Compounds
- Energy Boosting
- Heart Healthy
- High Protein
Bon Appetit!
I believe food can really make a difference in the fight against cancer. The right food at the right time will result in well-fed cancer patients improving their quality of life and improving their chances for recovery. Bon Appetit my friends!