The 6 Best Tips for Eating During Cancer Treatment

If you are going through treatment for cancer, there’s a good chance you’ll experience some eating problems at some point. Both radiation and chemotherapy can affect the cells in your mouth and digestive tract, causing foods to be unappealing or not taste like they used to. Also, your energy levels might change, making you so tired that eating feels like a lot of work. However, eating nutritious meals and snacks is especially important during cancer treatment.

One thing to keep in mind is that every person is different—there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to eating when you have cancer. Show yourself compassion as you figure out what your body needs. Someone with a more aggressive form of cancer or a more aggressive treatment plan will likely have different needs than someone with early-stage cancer or someone undergoing a less aggressive treatment plan. Be sure to talk to your medical team about your nutrition questions and concerns.

Here are some strategies to help combat common eating challenges as a result of cancer treatment.

Include Protein in Every Meal & Snack

Protein has many functions, such as helping your body repair damaged cells, preventing infections and slowing weight and muscle loss—all important for optimizing your treatment. Protein can also be one of the most challenging nutrients to get enough of due to the strong smell of cooked proteins and the effort it takes to prepare certain high-quality proteins. Some meal strategies include eating protein foods first in your meal, snacking on protein foods throughout the day and trying to eat protein foods that don’t need to be cooked, such as high-protein shakes, protein bars, Greek yogurt, or puddings made with milk. Some additional tips for adding more protein to meals include:

• Sprinkle nuts or cheese onto casseroles or vegetables
• Boost sauces with dry milk or protein powder
• Add legumes, like beans and lentils, to soups and salads
• Snack on nuts, yogurt, cheese and hard-boiled eggs

Get Enough Fluids

Fever, vomiting or diarrhea, which are common cancer treatment symptoms, can make you dehydrated. Dehydration can lead to dry skin and lips, constipation, headaches and weight loss. Keep a bottle of water handy and sip frequently. If plain water isn’t cutting it, try adding some flavoring or fresh fruit to your water to sweeten it up. Decaf tea and coffee are also great choices, as too much caffeine can be mildly dehydrating and you want to keep any dehydration at bay.

Choose fluid-rich foods like watermelon, tomatoes, berries and soups, and keep easy-to-grab drinks and fluid-rich snacks close and accessible.

Experiment with Different Tastes

Cancer treatments can affect how food tastes and smells. Some people experience a metallic taste, while others find that food tastes overly salty, sweet or bitter.

To lessen the metallic taste, avoid canned foods, use plastic utensils and glass cookware, and add a squeeze of lemon or a little vinegar to meals. Tame bitter flavors with a little salt or sugar. Try new dishes and play with spices.

When foods have lost their flavor, try enhancing the flavor of your foods with herbs, spices, pickled foods or sweeteners. Marinate meats to add flavor and serve fresh fruits and vegetables when possible, or blend them into smoothies.

If smell is the issue, avoid strong smells altogether, like cooked fish, eggs and cooked cruciferous vegetables. Try cooking outside on a grill to keep the smells out of the house.

Choose Easy-to-Swallow Foods

Cancers of the head and neck can cause great difficulty in swallowing foods. Cancer treatment can also cause uncomfortable symptoms like dry mouth, sore throat, mouth sores, inflammation and heartburn—all of which can take away the desire to eat and make it harder to eat.

When this happens, it can feel like foods get “stuck,” and it might be painful to swallow or you might choke or cough on your food. If this is happening, talk to your care team and let them know. Try eating soft foods like pasta, soups, stews, yogurt, soft fruits and well-cooked vegetables and purees. You can use sauces or gravies to help soften your foods. Drinking nutritional shakes or smoothies can help boost your calorie intake—which is especially important if your swallowing difficulties have led to weight loss. Take smaller bites and eat smaller meals throughout the day, more often. Avoid hard and crunchy foods that require a lot of chewing and could irritate your throat.

Your health care team can help you with other solutions like soothing mouth rinses and “thickeners” to add to foods so they’re easier to get down.

Boost Your Appetite

When difficulty swallowing or taste and smell changes have marred your appetite, it’s important to use some strategies to boost it. A poor appetite can lead to weight loss and malnutrition, which can make it harder to fight cancer and tolerate treatment.

If you don’t feel like eating, getting fresh air and doing physical activity may boost your hunger level; getting out of the house may help with any smells hindering your desire to eat. When you do eat, go for small portions, which won’t seem so overwhelming. Try a smoothie or some soup if solid foods aren’t appetizing.

Make the most of mornings, when appetite and energy levels are often highest, and don’t eat by the clock. Instead, eat when you’re hungry. Also, don’t get too hung up on nutrient quality all the time. Of course, good nutrition will be important for your body to fight cancer, but if it takes a little ice cream to stoke your appetite for dinner, go for it.

Eat for Your Specific Digestive Issues

You may deal with one or more gastrointestinal issues during your treatment. Here are a few ideas for what to eat for specific GI issues.

• Nausea/vomiting: Your health care team can help you manage this with medication. Consider smaller, more frequent meals and easy-to-digest foods like saltines, pretzels, rice or potatoes. You can also try eating foods warm or cool versus hot and cold.
• Diarrhea: You might be prescribed to eat a low-fiber diet, including easily digested foods like chicken-and-rice soup or cottage cheese, plus plenty of fluids. Yogurt can help replenish beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract.
• Constipation/abdominal pain: Boosting fiber intake with veggies and fruits can help (avoid those that normally cause gas for you), as can getting plenty of fluids, physical activity and starting your day with a hot beverage. Fiber-rich chia pudding or overnight oats can be easier to get down while also getting things moving.

The Bottom Line

Many eating challenges occur as a result of cancer treatment and medications. A poor appetite from altered taste or smell, or difficulty swallowing, can have an impact on the quality and quantity of foods you eat. A nutritious diet filled with protein, fiber and plenty of fluids will help keep your body strong through treatment. Your care team can help you work through specific digestive issues and get you on the road to recovery.