Easy Meals for Cancer Patients: Cherry Lime-Aid Smoothie
The COVID-19 pandemic has made eating in an everyday occurrence across the country, but for cancer patients who often have unique nutritional needs, at-home meal preparations can be particularly challenging.
Fortunately, culinary experts at the OSUCCC – James are here to help with tips and easy-to-prepare recipes that can help cancer patients and caregivers get the most out of their homemade meals and snacks.
“In The James Instructional Kitchen, we work with patients, outpatients and caregivers on personalized nutrition education plans,” says chef Stephanie Urrutia, RD, LD, a senior culinary educator at the OSUCCC – James. “We focus on high-protein, high-calorie and easy-to-eat recipes, and provide information tailored to the patients’ diagnoses.”
As always, but especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer patients and caregivers should put extra emphasis on food safety to reduce the risk of contaminants, including coronavirus, which can be particularly harmful to people with compromised immune systems.
In addition to rinsing produce and properly cooking meat, food preparers should take care to follow recommended hand-washing guidelines, making sure to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds in as warm of water as they can take before beginning food preparation.
“It is important to remember that safe preparation and handling is the most important factor for food preparation to make sure that you have lowered the risk for introducing food borne illnesses, bacteria and viruses like COVID-19 into your body,” Urrutia says.
Today’s Recipe: Cherry Lime-Aid Smoothie
“The Cherry Lime-Aid Smoothie recipe consists of frozen peaches and cherries, both of which were picked at the height of freshness and flash-frozen to preserve their nutrient density. While staying at home, frozen produce is a great way to comply with the immunocompromised diet while still getting antioxidant-loaded fruits and vegetables,” Urrutia says. “Peaches and cherries are full of polyphenols, antioxidants, fiber, vitamins B and C, which all help support a healthy immune system."
“Frozen produce is also a great way to keep fruits and vegetables in your diet while sheltering in place. Following a balanced diet is important for coping with chemotherapy and other treatments.”
Ingredients
- ½ cup frozen peaches
- 1 heaping cup frozen cherries
- 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 3 tsp lime juice, bottled
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- ½ cup ice
Directions
- In blender, combine all ingredients
- Blend until smoothie is creamy even consistency. Smoothie will be thick; to make thinner but add calories, use one cup milk; to make thinner without changing nutrition profile, add one cup water
- Taste and adjust flavors as needed
Modifications
- To increase calories and protein: add powdered milk
- To increase sweetness: add cherries; add maple syrup
- To increase tartness: add lime juice
- For diarrhea: add psyllium husk; add one tbsp. chia seeds
- For constipation: add ¼ cup apple juice or prune juice