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In a couple of months I will have to change my cooking while a family member undergoes radiotherapy. They have been given dietrry advice for the duration of their treatment, Specifically

• Reduce the fibre in your diet − but make sure you don’t cut it completely as it can make you constipated.

• Cut down food and drink that make you gassy. These include fizzy drinks, beans and pulses, spicy foods, and green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and sprouts.

I would like to start planning menus now in preparation for their care during treatment. Amongst my books — listed here but currently not indexed — is Life Kitchen written by Ryan Riley to help his mother recover the joy of food after chemotherapy but it does not address menu planning during cancer treatment. Wondering whether there might be a book or two that addresses the specific of menu planning while someone is having treatment. There are six books indexed here but two are specific to children, and one appears to promote the Mediterrean Diet as a means to avoid cancer. Of the remaining three they appear to advocate using the very ingredients that my family member is being told not to eat too much of in their diet.

Any help you can offer about this will be much appreciated by both of us.

Not a book but this site offers what to eat.  It seems that following their guidelines, people can adjust recipes based on this.  For example, you can eat

carb:rice pasta, noodle, refined cereal and white bread, rolls, etc

protein: meat, finely ground, well cooked.  Can eat all meat, fish and eggs.

vegetables, well cooked and skinless.  

fruits, skinless and ripe 

small amount of dairy, shredded lettuce and skinless cucumber

more info at the site.  

 https://www.healthline.c...disease/low-residue-diet

For gas reduction, cucumber should also be seeded. This can easily be done to a halved cucumber by scraping a teaspoon down the middle.

Speaking as a {breast} cancer survivor - including chemo & radio treatment over 8 months.... although recommended by several folks - except my oncologist, I did not change my diet at all (save for cutting out alcohol).. I made sure to maintain a healthy balanced diet.. there are all sorts of dietary suggestions out there .. and I'm not so sure they're warranted... don't believe everything a dietitian may suggest. Nutrition in Cancer Care (PDQ®)–Patient Version - NCI

That is a good source debkellie.  And really depends on type of cancer surgeries and whether chemo, radiation or combination chemo and radiation. 

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

Wondering if I was too harsh on dissing the MEditerrean Diet. Have just completed a MOOC that dealt with it (and the Okinawan diet) and I now see merit in it for my meal planning — both fot my family member's up-coming radiotherapy and simply in general.

Wishing your family member the best for their cancer journey: there is life after the big C. Chemo treatments have dramatically improved since 2010..

There is a life after cancer battle and journey for many.  Wishing your family good health and fast recovery.  

Regarding Okinawan diet and longevity, it is no longer the highest in Japan prefectures since 1990s due to changing diet, more stress, and less active.  They are as of 2010s of the 47 prefectures in Japan, men at 36th and women at 7th.  Other prefectures have higher longevity in Japan than Okinawa.  Things are changing a lot in Okinawa like in Greece unfortunately.  Nagano prefecture  has the highest longevity in Japan according to wiki. Lots of miso, vegetables, soba and walking the mountains. 

Thanks to you all for your best wishes.

Not sure about Okinawan diet.  I lived there in my late teens to mid 20's and people certainly ate good amount of tofu, vegetables, seaweed, sweet potatoes, goya ie bitter melons, okra, noodles and pork.  I did not find their fish particulary tasty as I like fish from cold ocean and did not find many fish dishes.  Their uni ie sea urchin is very good though.  What I did notice is very laid back life style and people generally walking to places.  Older people working with their hands in their garden and plots like sugar canes.  I see this still in Japan once outside of metro areas.  They generally work very hard using their hands.  Not much automation as their land tends to be smaller and more manageable.  People there are more active. 

Not food related; however, I just read an article this past weekend that hand strength is related to mortality. Strong hands allow a firmer grip on canes, catching oneself from falls, etc. The garden work would provide greater hand strength, flexibility, balance, range of motion and overall strength. Perhaps it is not only the diet, but the exercise from gardening?

I am a breast cancer survivor who had both chemo and radiation treatments. I didn't really alter my pescatarian diet much until I was toward the end of my chemo treatments when the nausea was more intense. I made some of the recipes in the older "Laurel's Kitchen Caring" cookbook: comforting and nutritious recipes. One can actually "check out" the book (library style) on the Internet Archive online. I've made some of these recipes when bringing meals to others who are ill as well. 
 https://archive.org/details/laurelskitchenca00robe

Very good to know.  I lost some of my hand strength some time back after going through chemo and had to work with finger stretching and grip exercises to bring the strength back.  There was a time when I could not easily hold a chef's knife and when I was able to do that again, I knew I was back.  Now, my hand strength is about 90% back. 

My oncologist was recommending anti-inflammatory diet esp eliminating sugar as she believed sugar feeds cancer.  

Has been over 8 years, but I eat very little desserts now. Hardly any sugar is used.   I probably make 3 desserts yearly and that is all. I used to love baking, but no more. My husband has adjusted and prefers no desserts at all.  

It's great to hear that you were able to find nutritious and comforting recipes to help you through the difficult time of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Thank you! I do encourage checking out the Laurel's Kitchen Caring book as it has useful information in addition to great recipes.

Thanks @Cathyschuh. Very helpful stuff. Sorry to read of your personal issues.

As a baker I use white flour most of the time but occasionally add wholemeal, spelt ot rye depending on what it is I'm baking that day.

I know my family member will like the idea of having croissants. We hope that the changes they need made to their diet will only be temprary.