Treats for Chemotherapy patients?

Fruit tingles are a good lolly for chemo patients if you have them where you are. Icy poles are excellent as they also help with the fluids.

I've been on chemo for 7 months and this is a really good question!! It is very personal I am sure, but I found I craved taste and often went for salty, tangy or strongly flavoured food. Trouble is, you just don't know what will go down well until you try it, so I appreciated it when people gave me a range of things to try, and try them I did.

Bland food was no good because the chemo taste trashed it, spicy food and acidic fruits gave me indigestion, and sickly sweet stuff made me sicker. Apart from wanting a good taste, I also craved certain foods. At one point I nearly went crazy for meat. I never knew I could be such a carnivore. My family provided me steak and lamb (foods I don't usually get to eat because of the price) that I would fry up and devour at any time of the day or night.

Some suggestions (all a matter of trial and error): iceblocks and icecreams (sharp cold taste), salty crisps, tangy sweets (eg peppermints, licorice), herbal teas (peppermint), salty meats such as corned beef, other meats with flavoursome sauces, packet and canned soups (salty flavour), relishes and chutneys.

Hi Spike,

Your statement, "I understand that people have different tastes" is most applicable. I have been an oncology nurse and I have not found "something that always tastes good or makes it through." Human contact is the one thing that is most special. So if you can organize a group of sensitive dedicated people to visit cancer patients it will be most appreciated.

Cancer patients seldom seek material goods apart from the usual comforts.

You will need patient consent first.

My wife like hard mint candies when she was going through it but I also made her a box of her favorite chocolates from a candy store.