Healthy Menus for Cancer Patients

Cancer can make eating difficult. Undergoing cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, can cause nausea, vomiting and a loss of appetite. The radiation from cancer treatments can cause mouth sores and make eating unpleasant. However, it is essential to eat a healthy diet in order to keep up nutrition and be strong enough to withstand cancer treatments.

What Should You Eat?

• A diet high in fiber can help prevent enertisis, a condition of the intestines caused by radiation. Chewing ice chips and taking amino acid supplements can help prevent mouth sores associated with radiation. When it comes to regular meals, the University of California Medical Center recommends bland foods and states that cold foods are usually preferable to hot. Jello, eggs, cream of wheat, cheese and crackers, cottage cheese and fruit are specifically recommended as bland foods which provide good sources of nutrition. Meal replacement shakes are also recommended, as they may be easier for cancer patients to consume and provide optimum nutritional content.

When Should You Eat?

• The University of California Medical Center recommends "opportunistic eating." This means that it is important to eat when you are hungry, as opposed to trying to eat a meal on a set schedule. Several small meals throughout the day may be better for nausea and may help you to keep food down more easily then eating large amounts in one sitting. Patients are also cautioned against lying down too soon after a meal, as this can exacerbate nausea and vomiting.

Foods to Avoid

• Greasy and fatty foods should be avoided in order to present exacerbating digestive problems and mouth sores. Diets high in sugar, unhealthy proteins and fats have also been shown to worsen cancer survival rates, because they encourage metastases of the cancer. Finally, the University of California Medical Center suggests that although cancer patients should drink lots of cool, clear beverages, beverages should be avoided during meals.