Gift giving is a big part of the holiday season. Foods, drinks, and treats are always popular gifts. If your gift is for a cancer survivor, be sure to ask about food preferences or foods to avoid. The following are some food gift ideas for the cancer survivor in your life:
- Hard candies
- Sparking fruit juice (non-alcoholic)
- Snacks, individually wrapped and ready-to-eat
- Milkshakes
- Rice Krispy Treats
- Nutritious beverages such as liquid nutrition supplements (Cancer survivors sometimes struggle to meet nutritional requirements through solid foods because of side effects such as nausea or difficulty swallowing.)
- Nuts
- Juices
- Assorted teas
- Small fruit baskets filled with fresh, canned, or dried fruits
- Fresh baked bread such as banana bread or muffins
- Soup
- Protein powder, such as whey powder
- Breakfast casseroles
- Home cooked main dishes frozen for cooking at a later date. Include cooking instructions, such as “defrost and cook at 350 degrees for 35 minutes”.
If you are feeling creative, here are a few ideas for gift baskets:
- “Tea Party Basket” include tea bags, scones, cookie wafers, a tea pot, and tea cup
- “Coffee Break Basket” – include favorite coffee, coffee mug, twizzle cookies, and flavored coffee creamers
- “Clear Liquids Basket” include individual portions of apple, grape, and cherry juices, supplemental drinks, broths, hard candy, and single-serve lemonade packets (Sometimes during treatment, cancer survivors need to follow a clear liquids diet.)
- “Picnic Supplies Basket” include nice plastic utensils, napkins, disposable cups and plates (Sometimes during treatment the metallic taste of traditional silverware can make cancer survivors sick.)
- “Cheese Basket” include small servings of cheese, assorted crackers, a cheese knife, and cutting board
