Your body needs both rest and nourishment before and after treatment for cancer. The following suggestions will help you save time and energy in preparing meals.

• Let someone else do the cooking when possible.
• If you know that your recovery time from treatment or surgery is going to be longer than 1 or 2 days, prepare a helper list. Decide who can help you shop, cook, set the table, and clean up. Write it down, discuss it, and post it where it can easily be seen. If children help, plan a small reward for them.
• Write out menus, choosing things that you or your family can put together easily. Casseroles, TV dinners, stews, and other pre-prepared foods are all good ideas. Prepare larger batches to be frozen for future use. Add instructions for others to use.
• Use shopping lists. Keep them handy so that they can be used as guides either by you or other people.
• When making casseroles for freezing, only partially cook rice and macaroni since they can become overcooked when reheated. And 1/2 liquid to frozen casseroles when reheating because they can get dry during freezing. Remember that frozen casseroles take a long time to reheat completely -- at least 45 minutes in deep dishes in the oven.
• Don't be shy about accepting gifts of food and offers of help from family and friends. Let them know what you like and offer your recipes. If people bring food that you can't use right away, freeze it. That homecooked meal can break the monotony of quickie suppers and TV dinners. It can also save time when you're tired or on a tight schedule. Date the food when you put it in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Have as few dishes, pots, and pans to wash as possible. Cook in dishes and pans that can also make attractive servers. Use paper napkins and disposable dishes. Disposable/recyclable pans are a great timesaver -- foil containers from frozen foods make good disposable pans. Soak dirty dishes to cut down on washing time.
• Use mixes, frozen dishes, and takeout food whenever possible. It is possible to eat takeout food and balance your diet. Many restaurants are gearing their menus toward healthier eating and offering more vegetable and low-fat dishes. The less time spent cooking and cleaning up, the more time for relaxation and family.
• If you are preparing soft foods, choose those that the whole family can eat, such as omelets, scrambled eggs, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, tuna salad sandwiches, or tuna casseroles. Set aside enough to be pureed in the blender or food processor for yourself.

Source: