Nutrition refers to the foods and drinks that give your body nutrients, which are needed to stay healthy. Nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Each of these plays an important role in the body. For instance, carbohydrates give you energy, proteins keep your muscles strong and fats cushion and protect your organs.
During cancer treatment, your body will require more nutrients to help manage treatment-related side effects. These extra nutrients will help support your healing and recovery. As a result, a healthy diet for you may look different from a healthy diet for someone who does not have cancer.
What Does a Diet During Cancer Treatment Look Like?
Each person’s nutritional needs during cancer treatment vary depending on the type of cancer, the treatment itself and how the person responds to the treatment. Cancer dietitians create personalized dietary plans based on patients’ specific needs. Your dietary plan might include these elements:
- Hydration: Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to help prevent constipation and dehydration.
- Carbohydrates: Focus on a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Whole grains, such as brown rice, oats, bran and whole wheat, are also great sources of carbohydrates.
- Healthy fats: Prioritize avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil and fatty fish (like salmon).
- Lean proteins: The average person needs at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. People receiving cancer treatment need about 1–1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Eat protein-rich foods like chicken, turkey, fish and eggs. Try incorporating plant-based protein, like beans, peas, lentils or tofu.
- Nutritional supplements: If you are unable to get enough nutrition from your diet, you may need to add meal replacement shakes, protein shakes or vitamin/mineral supplements to your nutrition plan to stay healthy. Some supplements can interact with cancer treatments, so talk to your doctor and dietitian about which ones are safe to take.
Effects of Cancer Treatments on Diet and Nutrition
Cancer treatments can cause a variety of side effects that may impact the types of foods you should consume. For example, chemotherapy can cause nausea and vomiting, so you may choose to eat more bland foods. Surgery can increase your protein needs, so you may be recommended to eat more protein-rich foods. You might need to adjust your diet due to these treatments:
- Chemotherapy often leads to nausea, vomiting, mouth sores and taste changes.
- Hormone therapy can cause weight gain, fluid retention and high blood sugar levels.
- Immunotherapy may lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue.
- Radiation therapy can cause mouth sores, sore throat and difficulty swallowing.
- Surgery may lead to increased calorie and protein requirements to promote wound healing.
Managing the Effects of Cancer Treatment With Proper Nutrition
Cancer treatment can be difficult, and you might experience unpleasant side effects from the medications that you receive. Try the following tips to help you manage your symptoms:
- Nausea and vomiting: Focus on small, frequent meals. Incorporate ginger or peppermint to decrease queasiness.
- Mouth sores: Avoid acidic or spicy foods. Choose soft foods and cool beverages to provide pain relief.
- Diarrhea: Avoid caffeine, fatty foods, fried foods and foods high in insoluble fiber. Focus on easy-to-digest carbohydrates, like bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. Sip on electrolyte drinks to replace lost fluids.
- Constipation: Focus on foods high in insoluble fiber, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Drink plenty of water and engage in light forms of exercise to get things moving.
- Foodborne Illness: Cancer treatment suppresses the immune system, increasing the risk of bacterial or viral infections from food. Practice food safety by washing raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly, storing food properly and cooking food to recommended temperatures.
- Muscle Loss: Eat more high protein-rich foods, like chicken, turkey, fish and eggs. Try plant-based proteins like beans, peas and lentils.
- Weight Loss: Choose high-calorie ingredients when making meals and snacks, such as olive oil, nut butters, avocado, full-fat yogurt or salmon.
Meal Prep: Hassle-free Healthy Foods
Spending hours in the kitchen or toiling over a stove is the last thing you want to worry about during cancer treatment. However, eating healthy meals and avoiding highly processed take-out dinners is still important.
Meal planning—or preparing, portioning and storing meals in large batches—can free up time spent on daily cooking tasks so that you can focus on healing instead.
Tips for Preparing Meals:
- Brainstorm quick, nutrient-dense recipes to prepare.
- Cook multiple servings of food at once and store meals in the freezer for up to several weeks.
- Peel and chop batches of fruit and vegetables in advance to use for quick snacks.
- Make cooking a fun, social activity. Ask a trusted friend or family member to help.
- Consider signing up for a meal delivery service. These services help you save time cooking and planning meals.
Keep It Safe: Foods to Avoid During Cancer Treatment
Chemotherapy and immunotherapy can weaken the body’s defenses. This means that patients who receive these treatments can become immunocompromised or unable to fight infections, which can increase their risk for foodborne illnesses like Salmonella.
Foodborne illnesses cause mild symptoms in healthy people, but an immunocompromised person may experience more severe complications and have a harder time recovering:
Follow these food safety guidelines:
- Before, during and after preparing food, wash your hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds.
- Thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables, even those that have a skin or rind.
- Use separate cutting boards: one for meat, poultry and fish and another for fruits and vegetables.
- Never thaw food on the countertop. Always defrost in the fridge or microwave before cooking.
- Don’t eat raw or undercooked foods, like rare steak or sushi. This also means no raw cookie dough!
- Avoid unpasteurized foods, like raw milk, blue cheese or fresh-pressed juices.
- Avoid foods from salad bars, potlucks, buffets and deli counters.
- Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Do not leave perishable food out on the counter for more than 2 hours.
- If you are uncertain if a food is safe, don’t risk it. When in doubt … throw it out!
You should also communicate these guidelines to family, friends and others preparing your meals.
More to Read
- Simple Ways to Feel Better During Cancer Treatment
- Fight Cancer with Your Fork: 7 Healthy Diet Tips
- The Hidden Dangers of Processed Foods
- How to Eat a Plant-Based Diet
- Food Safety: Keep Your Meals Safe and Delicious
Medically reviewed by Danica Garvin, MS, RD, LDN, CNSC, Oncology Dietitian, University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center.
