Cyndi Li - Region 12

I’d like to share an experience when I was at an outpatient cancer center. I had an opportunity to engage in a program designed for cancer survivors: “Nutrition in Your Kitchen.” Unlike inpatient clinical settings, this program fostered a relaxed, community-like atmosphere and equipped the patients with knowledge and recipes to boost nutrition at home. In the kitchen, we not only shared eating habits, but also rolled up our sleeves to prepare food and cooked alongside patients. After cooking, we enjoyed the meals together with the patients, just like friends.
 
One of the most memorable moments centered on dietary fiber, a nutrient critical for overall health during recovery. I kicked off the discussion by explaining the differences between soluble and insoluble fiber, sharing examples like whole wheat grains, fruits, and leafy greens. Patients were eager to participate, sharing their own favorite fiber-rich foods and asking questions, but a consistent challenge emerged; while everyone understood the 30+ gram daily fiber target, calculating intake across multiple foods felt daunting.
 
Even though the patients were willing to adhere to the recommendation, all of them shared that checking nutrition labels for every ingredient was time-consuming and confusing, especially for different foods. They mentioned that it was easy to include fruits and vegetables in the meals, but it was not easy to pick high-fiber snacks, so they lacked confidence in knowing if they were reaching their goal.  Recognizing this real, unmet need, I decided to create a targeted resource: a high-fiber snack handout. The handout focused on easy-to-prepare, tasty options—from dried prunes with chickpea hummus to brami lupini beans with garlic and herbs—and clearly labeled each snack’s total fiber content. The goal was to eliminate guesswork, allowing patients to quickly check how each snack contributed to their daily target.
 
I got plenty of positive feedback about this handout. Patients noted it made snack planning simpler and helped them build up confidence in calculating fiber intake. For me, this interactive experience was valuable in that by acknowledging patients' unique struggles they faced, I was able to take a small, targeted step that made a big impact in supporting the cancer survivors’ health journeys.

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