Nutrition guidance and tips for Cancer

What to Eat

Food is one of life’s simplest pleasures. However, when dealing with the side effects of cancer treatment, eating can become tiresome, unenjoyable, or challenging. Our Dietitians are here to help, as good nutrition is important for cancer medications to work their best. Make sure to check out our Side Effect Management Tool Kit. This guide is filled with information related to common nutrition-related side effects of cancer treatment. This tool also includes tips for managing these side effects, recommended foods, and recipes to nourish the body. This easy-to-use, downloadable resource can help reduce the often unpleasant side effects of cancer treatment, improve nutrition, and may help you take pleasure in food once again.

Nutritional Tips for Your Well-Being:

Nutrition is important to help you feel better during treatment. However, food may not always sound enjoyable, and certain side effects can make eating uncomfortable. It’s important to remember your body needs daily nourishment. Eating regularly can help improve energy levels and make you feel stronger. See below for nutritional tips to help you feel better.

• Try to consume small, easy-to-eat foods throughout the day. Focus on foods that require minimal effort to prepare and eat.
• Add fruit or juice to meal times. The sweetness may awaken the taste buds and increase the desire for other foods.
• When you’re feeling hungry, eat. Try to fill up on protein-rich foods first, as you may need more protein when undergoing cancer treatment.
• Breakfast is typically the easiest meal for people to eat – try to avoid skipping this meal.
• If possible, engage in physical activity. Physical activity contributes to a wide variety of total-body benefits, including helping with bowel movements and increasing appetite. Always consult with your doctor before beginning an exercise program to determine what’s best for your body.
• Keep liquid nutritional supplements, such as Ensure® or Boost®, on hand for days when you don’t feel like eating.
• Constipation can lead to a poor appetite. Check with your doctor about following a daily bowel-care program if constipation is a concern.

Food Safety

It’s always wise to practice proper food safety methods when preparing and handling food, but when undergoing cancer treatment, it is even more important. Cancer and certain cancer treatments can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of foodborne illness and infection. Practicing food safety tips can help prevent the spread of germs, lowering the risk of infection.

To keep you and your family safe, practice the following food safety tips:

• Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often with soap and water
• Separate: Separate raw meat and poultry from ready-to-eat foods
• Cook: Cook foods to the right temperatures
• Chill: Chill raw meat and poultry as well as cooked leftovers promptly (within 2 hours)

For more information, download our Food Safety Tool Kit below, or visit foodsafety.gov.

Survivorship

Now that your cancer and its treatment are behind you, you probably feel like you want life to return to a new normal. This new normal should include taking excellent care of yourself to stay healthy and help prevent your cancer from returning. Research shows that the best way to prevent cancer from recurring is to eat a healthy diet, be physically active, and maintain or achieve a healthy body weight.