The sharing of food has always been key to human survival and there is much more than a physical or nutritional component to the act. The offering of bread is a celebration of life and a central ritual in a wide variety of the world’s religious traditions, sustaining the soul as well as the body. Food has the power to heal simply by bringing people together.

Getting news of a friend’s breast cancer diagnosis sets the mind racing, wondering how best to support her and her family during upcoming treatment. It is only natural that your mind would settle on the idea of meal preparation as the most immediate of physical helps for a family going through the challenges of illness. However, now more than ever and with the patient and family under this new strain, it is important to keep lines of communication open to make sure that you are truly helpful and not otherwise.

A few thoughtful considerations can go a long way in ensuring that you will be welcomed when you ring her doorbell or step in through the back door over the next few months. Before automatically assuming that your cooking is what she wants, be direct and ask her family. Sometimes there is a family member who already does that job and finds comfort in the task. You certainly would not want to try to disrupt this. Maybe in that case your friend would prefer knowing that you could help with laundry or cleaning on some scheduled basis. These tasks are often overlooked by individuals hoping to help.

If after inquiring, you discover that dropping off cooked meals is really something that will be appreciated, make sure you ask about food allergies and preferences. Your friend, her spouse or children can let you know of some of their favorite food types and perhaps give you a few recipes that can get you started in the right direction. Keep simplicity and nutrition in mind. The goal is to keep people feeling healthy and loved, not to set new haute cuisine standards. Don’t forget to respect any vegetarian or religious food requirements.

Deliver meals in non-returnable containers. Individual sized servings pre-wrapped for the freezer is often a good idea for a family that must stay on the go while Mom is not up to par. Keep in mind that the breast cancer patient is going to have her dietary ups and downs in response to her treatment and plan to inquire about these along the way so that you can add some special accommodations for her as necessary.

To lighten your load, make a list of mutual friends who may want to participate in this experience of sharing food with the patient. If they would like to be part of the cooking and delivery schedule, you can stock a freezer full of readied meals by having a cooking party with them. It is important to also let your friend know that no Thank You notes will be permitted; the best thanks she could possibly give is her return to health.

Brit Winfield is the director of online services for the Fight Like A Girl T-Shirt Store. She also publishes breast cancer survival stories to uplift women. Visit this growing resource: Fight Like A Girl Agianst Breast Cancer.

Related Content

Subscribe to the post comments feeds or Leave a trackback