Eating right—before, during, and after chemotherapy
The best defense: a good offense
Not all cancer treatments will cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, or loss
of appetite, but even if you do experience them, there are steps you
can take to help you stay strong.
Here a are a few suggestions on how to deal with any loss of appetite you may experience:
Before treatment: Eat a low-fat, light meal, including foods like
cereal, toast, oatmeal, grits, or fruit cocktail.
Day of chemotherapy:
- Eat smaller and more frequent portions
- Eat at regularly scheduled times, even if you aren’t hungry
- Eat between meals. High-protein diet supplements, milkshakes and puddings, or nutritional
energy drink supplements are good choices
- Increase calories in foods by adding cream, butter, gravies, or sauces
- Exercising approximately 30 minutes before meals helps stimulate your appetite
- Plan in advance—have some meals frozen and ready to just heat and serve
- Last, but not least: choose foods you like and make mealtimes more pleasant by setting
an attractive table and eating with your friends or your family (or both!)
Following treatment: You may feel more comfortable after treatment
if you stick to liquids, soups, puddings or sandwiches. High-fat, fried or greasy
foods should be avoided for the first 24 to 48 hours following treatment.
If you find that only a few foods appeal to you, simply eat those foods until you
feel like eating other foods.
Stay hydrated. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day. And if you only feel like drinking,
supplements such as Boost® are excellent choices.
Dealing with a total loss of appetite and dry mouth.
If you do not find it possible to eat three full meals a day, don’t worry. Instead,
eat 6 smaller meals or snacks throughout the day, and keep a glass of liquid available
at all times. Water with lemon, apple juice, cranberry juice, or carrot juice are
all good choices.
If you have a sore or dry mouth, take the following steps to decrease possible ulcer
formation and soothe your mouth:
- Mix 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a quart of water.
- Rinse with and spit out the solution after each meal, or at least 4 times a day.
- Make a fresh batch of mouth rinse each morning using tap water.
Mouth soreness normally clears within a few days.
Getting flavor in your food.
Cancer and cancer treatment may change your senses of taste and smell. If you experience
this, try foods and beverages that are different from the ones you normally eat.
And try these tips to improve food flavor: add extra seasonings such as garlic and
chili powder, marinate meats in low-sodium soy sauce or fat-free dressing, and
add extra sugar to desserts.
Don’t forget to stock your pantry and the fridge with enough food to make it easy
prepare satisfying meals and snacks.
Enjoy a variety of healthy recipes
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