THEY CALL IT COMFORT FOOD FOR A REASON

When my mother was going through cancer treatment, her appetite was often poor, especially before her tumor shrunk. Too weak to make her own lunch, she would often wait for me to offer her some sustenance. And more often than not, the choice was a grilled cheese and a glass of milk. If she had had her druthers, she probably would have had one every day.

People who are frail and easily exhausted have a difficult time eating enough calories to nourish their imperiled bodies. That's when comfort food offers a great opportunity for your loved one.

What are some of the common comfort foods? Macaroni and cheese. Ravioli and pasta sauce. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Milkshakes. Scrambled and poached eggs. Ice cream. Yogurt. Sherbet. Chicken soup. Stew. Notice anything important about this list? Almost every one of these foods is easily chewed. You get maximum pleasure with little work.

For many cancer patients who are undergoing a gruelling treatment program or who are frail from the disease, comfort foods are a lifeline. They often have great difficulty consuming enough calories to keep them going. Why? Because eating is hard work. Think about how hard it is to chew a steak or a raw carrot. You want to eat an apple? Be prepared to chew. Chicken and turkey are tasty, but you have to work at it. Soft foods, like mashed potatoes and peas, go down easily.

If you have a loved one who finds eating to be difficult, try sneaking in some extra calories in a milk shake. You can add protein powder to ice cream and milk, and sometimes even a little peanut butter. Whip it up in a blender, and not only can you provide a lot of calories, the shake will taste so much better than a lot of the nutritional drinks on the market.

If your loved one likes nuts, but doesn't have the energy to chew, why not grind them up in a food processor or mill, and add them to foods like pancakes, muffins, or as a topping on ice cream. Nuts are a healthy way to get protein and essential nutrients.

Be creative when you offer up foods that don't require a lot of chewing. If your loved one likes burgers, but is unable to eat a whole one, try making sloppy joes. Be sure to break up the hamburger, ground turkey, or bison before adding the sauce. If hamburger buns are too much effort for your loved one, try serving the sloppy joe mix on a couple of pieces of bread.

Some cancer patients find it's easier to eat little meals throughout the day. Noshing has its benefits. If it's impossible for your loved one to eat three big meals a day, don't despair. Provide the calories throughout the day and your loved one will likely be able to eat more. If you know your loved one's appetite is good at breakfast, okay at lunch, and terrible for dinner, pack as many of the day's calories into that breakfast, and try it again at lunch. Do the best you can with dinner and for an evening snack.

Remember that you're trying to provide comfort. Food should be a pleasurable experience. If your loved one seems unmotivated, try reminding him or her that the healthier the physical body, the better the chances for the cancer treatments to work.