Fighting disease with proper diet!

 "Hello, I want a diet plan for my FIL", I was talking to dietitian over the phone. As the pandemic was going on, we couldn't visit her personally, so she was giving me tips on the phone.

"So what is his meal routine for now? Please let me know, starting from the breakfast", she said.

My FIL has oral cancer. He has underwent more than 10 surgeries till date. He cannot have solid foods. Everything has to be blended and strained, for him to eat. No spicy stuff, no over powering masalas, nor garlic. As all this irritates his palate and oral cavity.

So what's his routine was asked and here's what we cook for him -

He starts his day with green tea with tulsi and ginger.

Breakfast -

1. Ragi 'satva' (extract), this powder, I mix in some water and make a paste, add a pinch of salt and jeera powder to it.  Keep it on the stove to cook. Keep stirring so that it doesn't burn at the bottom. If you want a semi liquid consistency, then add some more water while stirring. Once cooked, it changes it colour to a darker shade. Let it cool. Add curds to this mixture. And blend it in a mixer. This is full of protein and minerals. It is good for diabetes too. Also for those with sweet tooth, the variation with jaggery and milk instead of curds, can be made.

2. I blend in half an apple, carrot, half tomato and half beetroot, to make juice. Strain it and add a little salt and pepper powder. This is a power drink for cancer patients. It's originally called as ABC drink (apple, beetroot and carrot), but my FIL likes the taste of tomato with it.

3. Doctor has prescribed him a protein powder with less sugar. I add 3 spoons full of that to half glass milk. I soak 4 almonds, 2 pistachios, 2 dry figs and 10-12 black raisins overnight. I blend in all this along with the protein powder in milk and strain it.

Lunch -

1. Soups - I use each and every vegetable available in the market to mix and match, to cook variety of soups. I add ginger, jeera powder, pepper powder, salt, to it. Sometimes I add different kinds of cereals and pulses in powdered form. Toor and Moong dals also, for change of taste. Slight changes in tadka gives different taste to soups. Butter tadka with ginger and jeera powder, oil tadka with mustard seeds, capsicum (replacing chillies), ghee tadka with curry patta, jeera and dhania powder.

These variations enhance the flavour. I do add ajwain in soups too, for better digestion.

For those who like non-veg food, chicken soup could be an option. Shredded chicken can be used. This soup can be then blended a d strained to avoid choking.

2. Rice, moong dal Khichdi. 

3. Oats with vegetables.

4. Types of kheer, with jaggery and dates to keep sugar in check. Don't forget to add elaichi for fragrance and nutmeg powder for digestion. And some kesar for the bright colour.

Also for non-vegetarians, eggs can be used while making dough for rotis. These rotis can be roasted and blended with milk and jaggery, adding elaichi powder and vanilla essence to reduce the odour of eggs.

5. Buttermilk

6. Fruits

All the above is blended and strained, of course.

The meal has all the nutrients required by our body. Carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins, fats and fibre.

Drinking plain water makes it mundane, so he has black coffee with no sugar and also green tea in between, whenever he can. The total water intake becomes adequate.

Dinner -

1. Again soups with combination of veggies and flours.

2. I get dosa flour ground from the chakki. It has wheat, rice, udad dal, moong dal, jeera, dhania seeds, methi seeds. I store it in and use it as and when required.

So this makes a savoury dish. I cook it along with combination of veggies and tadka. It's a wholesome meal.

3. Buttermilk

The dietitian whom I was speaking to was astonished. "You don't need my guidance ", she said. "You are already giving him everything he needs to stay nourished".

I was appeased to know.

My FIL has been fighting the disease since 10 years now. And we are glad he is able to do it with his will power. We have come up with this meal routine after reading so many books on cancer and nutrition.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope this meal plan helps those who are suffering from similar condition, wherein the patient has his teeth removed and cannot eat solid foods.

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