Help with Dinner Ideas

[GOOFY4DONALD]

My coworker (and one of my own kids' former teacher) has cancer. She is fighting like heck and she is slowly getting better but they have a long road ahead. She has finally stopped refusing help, after 4 months. She is back to work half days but because of working has less energy than ever. She is still having chemo and sometimes is hungry but cannot stand to have her husband cook. We are all taking turns bringing over dinners. I need some help with ideas. She needs smaller meals (sometimes they are only for her husband). She also needs things that are not too heavy with cheese or sauce. I'm at a loss. Tia

 

[SLP958]

Baked or grilled chicken with rice and a vegetable
Vegetable soup
Chicken noodle soup
Chicken casserole
Anything crockpot - beef stew, pork chops
Things to make salad


You could do some gift cards so her husband can just pick up something

 

[powellrj]

this has become my go to dish to take to people. Its pretty bland for someone not feeling well.

http://notmessyjustbusy.blogspot.dk/2013/04/all-in-one-recipe-chicken-green-beans.html

 

[Pakey]

When I did chemo, I thought meat tasted awful so I would do chicken or meatless dishes. Also stay away from things that have a lot of seasonings (spaghetti sauce, enchiladas, etc). Tomatoes or tomato sauce dishes are tough also. Skip onions and peppers.

When I could eat, I liked mild grilled fish and rice, vegetable soup, chicken and rice soup, vegetable frittata, baked potato. Think bland, low fat, low acid.

 

[clh2]

Just a possible suggestion-why not freeze an individual portion of the meals you are cooking your family-if at times the husband needs something?

Sorry-I do not have ideas on what to make that the wife might like.

Nice of you to help!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Our go-to meal is a crock-pot roast. DW just made one for a friend who's father had passed. We actually received this same roast from a coworker of mine after DW's knee surgery. We usually make 3 separate meals from the roast. We usually leave it up to the recipient to divide it up, but you could take the extra steps and do that yourself.

We do Beef & noodles with gravy
Chow Mein
BBQ beef sandwiches, all out of the same roast.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Thanks to all for the replies. I'm going to look into the more bland rice and chicken dishes. All my meals are usually full of strong flavor. I'm trying to think about the food I could stand when I was going through 9 months of morning sickness. ( I know there isn't a comparison but it gives me a starting point for ideas)

 

[anniemae]

I think homemade soup is a good idea. A chicken soup with egg noodles and carrots. Or a nice minestrone or Italian wedding soup. You could also send a loaf of bread with it for a nice meal.

 

[ronandannette]

I make meals as part of a "helping hand" ministry at church and I often don't know much of anything about the needs/tastes of the families that get them. My default has become a whole roast chicken. I do it up in a cooking bag with baby potatoes, carrots and a few celery stalks, seasoned very basically with salt and pepper. It's easy to put together and quite versatile for whoever gets it. It can all be re-heated together at once and provides left-overs for sandwiches or whatnot the next day if it's only a small family too.