First food you could eat after treatments

I'm still on shakes and can't imagine what would work at this point. Do you remember the first food that worked for you post treatment?

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    i drank smooties for 7 months, but was always tasting

    Steven,

    I remember very well the successes, I also remember trying everything.  The H&N members had an extensive list of “must try”, but I must have did something wrong because most foods felt and tasted awful.

    My favorites, which were a delight were:  corn-on-the-cob, sweet tea (nutria-sweet), tomatoes and cucumbers with olive oil.  These were good shortly post treatment.

    Many members find a visit to a buffet or Chinese food full of pleasant surprises.

    It is your job if you decide  to accept it, is to try, try, try everything.

    Matt

  • stevenpepe
    stevenpepe Member Posts: 234
    edited July 2016 #3
    Hondo said:

    food

     

    Not too should what was the first food I eat but the first food I tasted was Popeye’s fried chicken. As bad as the grease was it was more like ice cream to me.

     

    Tim

     

    Tim

     

    Normally, I would stay away

    Normally, I would stay away from fried chicken, but what I wouldn't do to eat that now. Thanks, Tim.

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    edited July 2016 #4
    food

     

    Not too should what was the first food I eat but the first food I tasted was Popeye’s fried chicken. As bad as the grease was it was more like ice cream to me.

     

    Tim

     

    Tim

     

  • stevenpepe
    stevenpepe Member Posts: 234
    Matt, Tomatoes are my

    Matt, Tomatoes are my favorite food. I often have them with mozzarella and olive oil, or tossed alone in olive oil and herbs. It sounds like it may work for me so I may try it tomorrow. I'll let you know the result.

    Speaking of Chinese, a couple weeks ago I put a piece of broccoli with garlic sauce in my mouth and nearly died. Hard to imagine how awful foods taste after rads.

  • Bart T
    Bart T Member Posts: 62 Member
    Most foods that go down with little or no chewing

    I was always a big fan of oatmeal and find it be one of the few foods I can still enjoy. Basically I found any food that goes down with little or no chewing was a good choice as long as it wasn’t prepared with savory spices, as I find any type of hot spice or alcohol to be painful (4 years out). Pastina and other small pastas prepared in butter or mild cheese sauces worked well for me, as did grits. Scrambled eggs and omelets were a staple for me. Puddings, sherbets, sorbet, Italian ice and ice cream go down easy and still taste good to me. Cold cereals were OK as long as I soaked them in milk long enough to get soggy. 

    I hope your taste buds are back. Mine came back within a few weeks after radiation, although everything was too salty and nothing was sweet enough. This is a good time to experiment, so try anything that you think might be appealing, because what works for one person doesn’t work for everyone. 

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    I remember...

    I had been on the PEG for about a month and only getting an Ensure in occasionally. It was a month after treatment and I made a soft scambled egg and mashed potatoes (one egg, one potato). Along with my water I was able to eat. It felt like I had stuffed myself at a buffet! ~lol~

    Positive thoughts and prayers

    "T"

  • swopoe
    swopoe Member Posts: 492
    My husband ate broccoli

    My husband ate broccoli cheese soup, lots of eggs and cantaloupe. The Chinese buffet was fun at a few weeks after rads. It was a date for us. He took his time, cut foods really small, and ate a lot. Not everything, but he did great.

  • Kari2007
    Kari2007 Member Posts: 108

    Matt, Tomatoes are my

    Matt, Tomatoes are my favorite food. I often have them with mozzarella and olive oil, or tossed alone in olive oil and herbs. It sounds like it may work for me so I may try it tomorrow. I'll let you know the result.

    Speaking of Chinese, a couple weeks ago I put a piece of broccoli with garlic sauce in my mouth and nearly died. Hard to imagine how awful foods taste after rads.

    Tomatoes are my favorite too

    I'm hoping I still get to eat a summer tomato this year after my treatments are over in August. Mozzarella and tomato is my favorite! Tell us how it goes!

  • cardoza33
    cardoza33 Member Posts: 81

    Matt, Tomatoes are my

    Matt, Tomatoes are my favorite food. I often have them with mozzarella and olive oil, or tossed alone in olive oil and herbs. It sounds like it may work for me so I may try it tomorrow. I'll let you know the result.

    Speaking of Chinese, a couple weeks ago I put a piece of broccoli with garlic sauce in my mouth and nearly died. Hard to imagine how awful foods taste after rads.

    Im only a few month out

    Instant oatmeals in the packets for different flavors. spinach ravioli w/ lot of olive oil; fettucini alfredo; most soups; craft mac n cheese; in and out burger protien style - ie wrapped in lettuce instead of bun (this has been a real treat lately as I loved burgers); salad w/ dressing; mash potatoes w/ gravy.  Good luck.  Just keep pluggin  away.  Eating is not still not enjoyable.  Frankly its a pain in the **** and frustrating.  Chew, chew, water...swallow.  Takes forever to eat a small amount and I generally get full on the all the water to wash it down.  BUT, it beats the alternative and it is slowly, ever so slowly gettting better.

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    I couldn't taste anything...

    but the simple act of eating was wonderful.  My first meal was Vegitable Soup and I took French Bread slathered in butter and soaked it in the soup.... :).  We did the Chinese Buffet thing, too....about 3 or 4 weeks out of treatment.  I would surprise my taste buds by switching foods every two bites.  I absolutely could not taste any fruit for a long, long time.  I tried them weekly, but even grapes were awful....and oranges (my favorite), burned AND tasted awful. 

    This last January I tried an orange again....and it was wonderful....I ate three in a row!  That took nearly 4 years to come back.

    Ketchup and mustard are still iffy.

    p

  • Grandmax4
    Grandmax4 Member Posts: 723
    I remember

    I clearly remember, sitting at my kitchen table, with a bowl of tomato soup, made with water, and ritz crackers crushed as fine as i could. My husband was sitting there, eagerly waiting for me to take a bite..I kept practicing my swallow, and finally said, can you please go in the other room, I can't do this with you watching. He complied, and I took a tiny bite and swallowed correctly. It tasted like manna from heaven, I ate that a lot, also fried egg, only the yolk, 

  • The arn man
    The arn man Member Posts: 9
    Do shakes count?

    Dairy Queen has great ones!!

  • TracyLynn72
    TracyLynn72 Member Posts: 839
    I remember exactly what I had!

    I was on the PEG and still not able to taste a thing, but we were going to the beach for a few days to relax.  Me, my hubby and two kids.  Of course at the beach you eat out a lot, so I sat while they enjoyed their food the first day.  The second day, for breakfast, I got brave and ordered one scrambled egg and a side of grits.  I mixed the two together and took TINY bites.  It was the best meal I had ever had!!!  I could actually taste a little of it!!!!  That night I ate green beans smushed up in mashed potatoes.  It was delicious!! I ate more jello than I care to admit, but I still like certain flavors of it today :)  Go slowly, and have a lot of water on hand.  

  • Raddude
    Raddude Member Posts: 84
    I remember

     

    I watched all the cooking shows and thought I can't wait to eat again. Everyone thought I was a crazy for watching but it helped me to live vicariously through the shows, lol. For me it was sushi and scallops. I had to really put a lot of wasabi in my soy sauce to taste it and a friend took a bite and it was so hot her eyes starting watering, but I could just barely taste it. My taste began to return pretty quickly with the help of Zinc sulfate, vitamin b12 and acupuncture. I am just getting over a summer head cold and it really whacked my taste, felt as though I took a few steps back but is coming back again

     

  • LiseA
    LiseA Member Posts: 266
    Raddude, that's awesome. Didn

    Raddude, that's awesome. Didn't you have in sores mouth though?  I can't imagine wasabi now!

    Last night my daughter cooked scallops with some veggies and added portabello mushrooms! I could actually taste the mushrooms.  I'm going to try Shepherd's pie tonight.  Doesn't really bother me too much about the taste, as much as the damn sores and heaviness of my tongue.  I too have been watching some cooking shows. That's hilarious.  I keep making a mental note of things I'm going to make later on. 

  • Tryinghard
    Tryinghard Member Posts: 18
    Food besides shakes

    My husband is post treatments and complications and struggling with foods. Picky eater. Living mainly on protein enhanced ice cream shakes at this point but food that appeals and seems to go down easily is macaroni and cheese (homemade with milk and Velveeta cheese) and store bought macaroni salad.   

  • Nonni1947
    Nonni1947 Member Posts: 8 Member
    edited July 2016 #18
    First Food

    The first food that I could taste was grilled Italian sausage. (I think I tasted the spices, and not the meat.)   I was three weeks post-treatment, and was so surprised that I cried.  Taste is slowly returning, though i'm  still drinking two shakes a day.  Each evening, I try to eat whatever I've prepared for dinner.  Meat, especially, steak/hamburgers, seem to have the most flavor.  Unfortunately, pastas, etc., are tasteless.  My Italian genes are in withdrawal.   Good fortune, and blessings, Steven, as you continue on your recovery journey. 

  • Raddude
    Raddude Member Posts: 84
    edited July 2016 #19
    LiseA said:

    Raddude, that's awesome. Didn

    Raddude, that's awesome. Didn't you have in sores mouth though?  I can't imagine wasabi now!

    Last night my daughter cooked scallops with some veggies and added portabello mushrooms! I could actually taste the mushrooms.  I'm going to try Shepherd's pie tonight.  Doesn't really bother me too much about the taste, as much as the damn sores and heaviness of my tongue.  I too have been watching some cooking shows. That's hilarious.  I keep making a mental note of things I'm going to make later on. 

    LiseA

    I never did get any mouth sores, so I was lucky.

  • stevenpepe
    stevenpepe Member Posts: 234
    edited July 2016 #20
    Raddude said:

    LiseA

    I never did get any mouth sores, so I was lucky.

    How did you manage that?

    How did you manage that?

  • LiseA
    LiseA Member Posts: 266
    Oh wow! No mouth sores? I can

    Oh wow! No mouth sores? I can't imagine that.  How is it going, Steven?  I read that exercise actually helps with fatigue and have started doing some light exercises at home. I walk on treadmill, light weights yesterday and did some walk push-ups for arms.  Wasn't any worse than before. I feel much better today. Still burn out fast, but better than a week ago. Goal is to be well enough for the gym in a month's time.