Sorry to hear about your family member, but great on the prognosis! My experience has been that friends/family have their sense of smell and taste greatly affected by radiation and/or chemo, so you might want to ask them what sounds good to them (or what doesn't).

For high protein, I think of meat/fish, beans and grains/seeds like quinoa or barley, eggs and dairy, and nuts. I'd start with something like a simple roast chicken w/ a few sides and vegetables (like roasted vegs and a barley/quinoa pilaf), a soup like ham & bean/pea or beef w/ barley, and maybe comfort food like a meatloaf... then ask them what sounds good to them!

As someone who has been there done that and has the tee shirt to prove it....what sounds good and what tastes good when it is sitting in front of you are often 2 very different things. I once made a special trip to the store to buy a can of tomato soup, because I was craving that....fixed it and Gaa! couldn't eat it. The thing I craved were highly seasoned things....which hurt my mouth because the chemo makes your mouth tender. I remember going to a tex mex place and dipping just a corner of a chip in salsa....and savoring it....and grabbing the water!
The best high protein things I could eat were eggs....devilled eggs...easy on the mustard and onion, chicken. I don't recommend beans....too hard to digest and create gas.
What I craved besides salsa and tomato things which hurt my mouth, was sweets. I'll bet you could make a healthy ricotta cheese cake that would be high in protein and still be easy to digest and she would love.

A number of years ago Grain Lady recommended: Great Lakes Gelatin in the green canister/box. It is collagen hydrolysate which is 90% protein and all the amino acids. It mixes extremely well with liquids and so is good in smoothies, drinks, etc. It doesn't really have much of any taste. All of my husband's food had to be liquified and this was added to every blend.

Warning tho', it is not cheap. If you shop for it on Amazon you'll be amazed at the price range.

This is one product I would definitely recommend and actually keep on hand for myself.

chilled deviled eggs. meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Cold meatloaf and ketchup make great sandwiches. A chilled egg custard goes down easy too.

If she eats pork, I love a marinated pork tenderloin - not the large loin roast, but the small, very lean tenderloin, which usually weigh around 1 lb each. They are easy to cook, great cold or in sandwiches with virtually no fat. Very high protein. It is easy to reheat if you don't overcook it; I usually slice and cook in the microwave at 20% power for a minute or so, until warm, which keeps it very moist.

My favorite is an Asian type marinade or glaze, but if that wouldn't appeal to her, you could use some herbs and spices or just salt and pepper after a little olive oil rubbed on the top.

This is my all time favorite recipe for them:

Grilled Tamarind Pork Tenderloin

If a whole roast chicken would be too much for her (if she's a household of one), I love to make Chicken Piccata with chicken breasts. It, too is easy and tasty, without being too spicy. Very good warmed; I use the same method as for the tenderloin (or any meat I reheat). 20% or 30% power in the microwave, for a minute or two, just until heated through. Great served with plain rice. Trader Joe's has the best precooked frozen rice packets that are perfect for one or two. Several varieties of rice. Just heat in the package in microwave for a minute or two. Easy peasy.

I like this recipe, though there are many similar:
Easy Chicken Piccata

eta: Meatballs are also a good thing to be able to reheat one or two at a time. I make them Swedish style without tomato sauce, if tomato sauce is difficult to eat.

Wow!! That's good to hear!!!!! I am almost 20 years out...

I know we share that in common and I'm so glad you are back here. I missed you.

My Aunt also had breast cancer and chemotherapy and she said that many things upset her stomach and/or made her mouth sore, so she liked things that were softer, but had some flavor. She really liked egg/cheese frittata, chicken noodle soup and au gratin potatoes, but not all at one meal! Another favorite was old fashioned custard pie, maybe because my Grandma (her mother) made that when she was small.

Good luck to your family member, her prognosis is very good news indeed. Aunt Ronni is a 15 year survivor, and still doing well.

Annie

Tapioca pudding, strawberry jello with bananas, beef barley soup, well cooked macaroni with butter...I really didn't care about eating and still don't anymore.

I didn't care about eating either, but knew I had to....and I kept trying things....and gained almost 20 pounds on chemo and radiation! Still have it hanging around!

Personally after my own experience, i would suggest that you forget food and buy her something else. Something lovely and smelly....a really good book for her to lose herself in, ginger tea to help with nausea......she needs spoiling.

Wow! I knew you all would come through! Thanks so much. Definitely going to use some of these.

Not sure about meatloaf but meatballs - yes! And definitely chicken noodle soup.

Keep them coming!!

Small, small, small portions. Looking at a plate full of food can quickly take away an appetite.

Those small cups of puddings, fruits, yogurts, cottage cheese, etc. At most, half a cup at a time.

Mashed potatoes and gravy can be a good comfort food.

Carnation Breakfast Essentials is good, either bottled or the powder mixed with milk. Small portions of that too, two to four ounces to start. It's good warm, with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream, too! And good chilled. Add ice cream or vanilla yogurt and make a smoothie.

Don't worry about "good" nutrition, the calories are more important - sugar and fat.

Sugar can be inflammatory, so make sure her oncologist is onboard with adding sugar. My friend's daughter isn't allowed much sugar at all.

You can make protein shakes and smoothies w/ some of the powder supplements available in many stores these days. Spiru-Tein is 1 brand I've used that's pretty delicious and comes in a number of flavors. I used it w/ milk &/or yoghurt and frozen bananas.

My 27 year old daughter is currently going through chemo treatment for breast cancer. She has been living on homemade chicken, vegetable, rice soup. I make a chicken bone broth and add the Great Lakes Gelatin protein powder to the broth along with local pasture raised chicken, organic rice and organic vegetables. The protein powder is flavorless but adds calories and protein.

I incorporate the protein powder into almost everything I cook for her; it helps keep her weight up.

She also finds she likes eggs and toast. To boost her protein and calorie intake, she has been drinking the Organic Valley protein drinks and Orgain protein drinks, both of which are organic. For the first 6 weeks, she found cheese and beef distasteful but recently has been able to eat them.

I find some nights I cook three different meals before I find one she can eat. It's an ongoing process. Fortunately, DH, her brother and her 15 month old son will eat anything so nothing goes to waste. LOL

Lastly, homemade juice pops are a must to have on hand. I puree organic fruit, strain and thin with water, add a little sugar or stevia and pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

moosemac, very sorry to hear about your daughter. Hugs. I know someone who could really benefit from that protein powder, so I did a search. Is this what you buy?

I'll second the juice pops....but watch the juice....orange juice hurt my mouth.

party_music50

This is the one I use.

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Lakes-Gelatin-Collagen-Hydrolysate/dp/B005KG7EDU?th=1

lindac92

Yes citrus juice is problematic for pops but I have used the zest for a hint of favor. The only time she likes citrus juice pops is when i use cucumbers and add a touch of lime juice. Other than that, I have been using mostly berries, and mangoes.

Thank you, moosemac.

moosemac, I'm hoping for a complete recovery for your daughter and I'll keep her in my thoughts and prayers.

Eggs and toast? That reminds me, my Aunt sometimes like bread pudding. Not always, but sometimes. She said that things would sound delicious, she'd take one bite and not be able to eat it. It frustrated her endlessly, which I can understand.

Annie

I know you want to feed her, but I think the above comments confirm my own experience. Every person lives their chemo differently. There is a great risk that you turn up with the best of intentions with a fragrant dish that might well push her nausea to extremes..... only she knows what she can stand eating and something that seems wonderful to us all may be awful to her. That's why I suggested non food items.

I just wanted to thank you all again for your input. I went with chicken soup with rice as well as some turkey meatballs. So far she has been very appreciative.

Having said that, she seems to like the gelato pack we sent her from Zingerman's the best!