Recipes for resilience

By Ms Sandra Tan, Dietitian, Department of Dietetics, CGH

Changi General Hospital (CGH) presents The Pink Plate, a cookbook that seeks to provide breast cancer patients and their loved ones with greater agency when it comes to their nutritional needs and symptom management.

Breast cancer is a life-changing diagnosis that affects not only physical health but also emotional and mental well-being. Beyond medical treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, the role of nutrition is important in aiding recovery, managing symptoms and optimising quality of life. Patients undergoing treatment often experience eating challenges such as poor appetite, changes to the taste of food, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea. These symptoms may affect the ability and/or desire to eat, which may lead to under-nutrition that further weakens the body’s resistance to the disease.

Ranging from main meals and soups
to snacks and desserts, the recipes in this
cookbook are easy to prepare and hassle-free.

Recognising that many breast cancer patients face such eating difficulties, the CGH team — which includes chefs, dietitians and breast surgeons — developed The Pink Plate in collaboration with breast cancer survivors to provide nutritious ideas for patients and caregivers before, during and after treatment. The book aims to empower breast cancer patients and their loved ones to take charge of their nutrition and symptom management.

For example, some patients may experience taste alterations that cause their food to taste bitter, which in turn can diminish their appetite. To counter this, The Pink Plate includes recipes such as Yuzu Chicken, which is made from yuzu citron tea jam to create a citrusy, aromatic flavour. The tartness of the yuzu is refreshing and helps mask any lingering bitter taste, making it easier for patients to enjoy their meals.

Fostering a community of support

Fostering a supportive community for those undergoing the journey of recovery is also crucial to their physical and mental well-being.

One breast cancer survivor who contributed her recipe to The Pink Plate is Ms Tay Siew Ting. While battling cancer, she not only felt weak, but also struggled with a reduced tolerance to the smell of food, which led her to seek out recipes that would help her stay nourished and strong.

Ms Tay’s Cabbage with Sliced Pork dish is helpful for nausea and vomiting, loss of taste, constipation and fatigue.

Ms Tay’s Cabbage with Sliced Pork recipe was one of the few dishes she could eat during her treatment, as the dish was not heavily seasoned, and the natural sweetness and softness of cabbage made it easier for her to swallow without feeling nauseous. Ms Tay was subsequently cleared of cancer and has been in remission since. Through her recipe contribution to The Pink Plate, she hopes to help fellow breast cancer patients manage their symptoms and stay positive.

Recipe from The Pink Plate

Baked apple with crunchy nut topping

Ingredients

4 tbsp Rolled oats
2 tbsp Almond, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp Sunflower seeds
4 Apples (medium-sized)
½ tsp Cinnamon powder
1 tsp Minced dried mandarin peel (alternative: orange zest)
1 tbsp Honey
A pinch Salt
Yoghurt or ice cream topping (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 150°C.
Spread the oats, almond and sunflower seeds in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 150°C for 5 minutes, or until golden and toasted.
Rinse and core the apples using a paring knife or corer, remove the stems and seeds, creating a cylindrical cavity in the centre of each apple, all the way through to the bottom.
In a small bowl, mix the toasted oats, almond and sunflower seeds, cinnamon powder, dried mandarin peel, honey and salt until well-combined.
Fill each apple with the oat and nut mixture, packing it lightly.
Place apples in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 160°C, or until tender.
Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and crispy.
Serve warm, either on its own or with a dollop of yoghurt or ice cream if desired.

Per serving

158 calories
24g carbohydrates
6g fat
3g protein
3g fibre
104mg sodium
1.1mg iron

For more information or to obtain a copy of The Pink Plate, please contact Changi General Hospital at giving@cgh.com.sg.