This chapter has listed ideas for increasing calories and making food more appealing. What follows are accounts of what several kids really ate while on chemotherapy. You will notice how varied the list is, so experiment to see what your child will eat. Remember that children’s tastes and aversions may change throughout treatment.

Judd craved chicken chow mein and fried rice takeout from a Chinese restaurant. He also loved Spaghetti-Os® and hot dogs.

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I let Preston eat whatever tasted good to him, which was usually lots of potatoes and eggs. He liked spicy food (especially Mexican).

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Katy typically only ate one food for days or weeks at a stretch. One time, she ate pesto sauce (made from olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and basil leaves) on pasta for every meal for weeks. She also went through a spicy barbecue sauce phase, in which she wouldn’t eat any food unless it was completely immersed in sauce. She ate no fruits, vegetables (except potatoes), or meat for the entire period of treatment. She ate only puréed baby food when she was really sick.

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In the beginning, when Meagan lost so much weight, we snuck Polycose® (a powdered nutritional supplement) into everything. She finally got stuck on cans of mixed nuts. They are high calorie and were instrumental in putting back on the weight. She also craved capers and would eat them by the tablespoonful.

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All Brent asks for are “peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cut in fours, no crusts, with Fritos®.” The only fruit he has eaten for three years is an occasional banana, and he eats no vegetables. He always ate everything before his diagnosis at age 6.

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The doctor told me to keep Kim on a low-salt, low-folic-acid diet. She wouldn’t eat anything, so he eventually said he didn’t care what she ate, as long as she ate. She liked Spaghetti-Os®, Chick-fil-A® nuggets, Chick-fil-A® soup, and McDonald’s® sausage and pancakes.

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All Carl ate was dry cereal, dry waffles, oatmeal, and bacon. He ate no other meat or vegetables throughout treatment, but did drink milk. I thought that he would never be healthy, but he’s 15 now (diagnosed when 2), eats little junk food, never gets sick, and looks great.

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On prednisone, Rachel ate only hot dogs, bologna, scrambled eggs with cheese, and potato chips. She would eat until she literally threw up. Now, two years off treatment, she is gradually expanding her repertoire. She only drinks milk (no water, juice, or soda), eats no sweets, and prefers all salty foods. I really have no idea whether it is learned behavior or a result of the cancer treatment.

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Prior to diagnosis, I was militant about serving organic, whole-grain, non-processed food. My son received a fruit or vegetable at every meal. After diagnosis, my dietary goals for Nico were centered on avoiding an NG tube. I just wanted him to keep eating. I always have healthy food in the house to offer. But he had overwhelming cravings while taking steroids. He fixated on one thing and ate only that one thing for days on end. During steroid pulses, my son would request “a box” of chicken nuggets and would eat 22 at one sitting. This last steroid pulse, he went through six boxes of breakfast sausages. I bought the organic chicken sausage, but I am not fooling myself into thinking this was healthy. We have enough trauma in our lives without fighting over food. I am not interested in adding that layer of conflict onto everything else. If I can get him to eat something nutritious, then great; otherwise,

I indulge his dietary wants in the healthiest way possible (and it is not always possible).

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I guess Carrie Beth is the exception that proves the rule. She is on maintenance and has an excellent appetite. She eats fruits, vegetables, and lots of meat.