Struggling with your appetite on chemo? Try out these icy indulgences
Published: July 29, 2020
Many people find they lose their appetite on chemo, especially when the weather outside is stiffling. There’s no better or tastier way to cool down than with an icy delight. We’ve included some of our favourites, which are both delicious and healthy(ish)!
Ice Pops / lollies
Starting off with a classic – the ice pop/lolly. All you need is fruit, a moulding container, a freezer, and you’re good to go.
Here are some of our picks from the web:
Kiwi pops – the sweet and tart flavour combination is a winner and kiwis are packed full of vitamins and nutrients, healthy for you and the kids, and delicious too!
Watermelon pops – with its more subtle and watery flavour, it is great for satisfying thirst and who doesn’t like watermelon?
Raspberry-buttermilk pops – a less healthy but delicious variation. The buttermilk gives this ice pop more of an ice cream taste and texture, where refreshment is replaced with the creamy goodness of buttermilk.
Cereal milk ice lollies – Who says cereal is just for breakfast? Make these moreish milk ice lollies flavoured with honey nut cornflakes – they’ll go down a storm with kids.
Or why not simply slice up some fruit and put in a freezer bag – when you have a cold drink use a slice or two as an alternative to an ice cube… but with a hint of flavour.
Sorbet
Sitting neatly between ice cream and ice pops, sorbet works with many different ingredients and is refreshing and often zesty.
Here are some of our picks from the web:
Lemon sorbet – the original and best-known sorbet. The zest from lemon gives the flavour its kick, while mint complements the lemon to produce a refreshing and flavour-filled ice treat.
Spiced apricot sorbet – easy to make with only a few cheap ingredients. Apricot gives the sorbet its sweetness, while the cinnamon and lemon give it a spicy kick.
Cheat’s pineapple, Thai basil, and ginger sorbet – one for the more adventurous cooks out there. The combination of the sweet pineapple, fragrant Thai basil, and spicy ginger really make this sorbet stand out.
Mango Lassie – working as both a pudding and a breakfast for the more diet-liberal of us, mango lassies combine the sweet tropical flavour of mango with the creamy goodness a thick milkshake. Use any kind of milk, and you can even add ice cream!
This can be done with any fruit, try blueberries or strawberries for a mix up.
Fruit Granita
Fruit granita is delicious and flexible ice treat that is really simple to make. You can use any fruit to make granita – use your favourite fruit or experiment with different combinations.
Granita gets its unique texture by using a fork to flake the mixture a few times when it is partially frozen. The result; delicious and flaky frozen fruit that melts in your mouth releasing a wave of flavour with each bite.
Granita can be eaten on its own or served on top of other deserts or even cocktails!
Disclaimer: We’ve tried to stay healthy for most of our choices (as much as can be expected with sugary delightsy) but please bear in mind any allergies you have – and always check with your doctor to see if any of the recipe contents could conflict with your treatment or other medication.
If you’ve got any other ideas of treats to tempt waning appetites or sore mouths from chemo, head over to our Facebook chemotherapy support group and share your recipes.
If you have any questions about cold capping, or anything else related to your chemo treatment, why not join the Facebook Chemotherapy Support Group – with thousands of members reaching out to each other, someone will no doubt be able to offer you first hand advice.