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What are Good High Calorie Foods for People With Cancer?

Proper nutrition is important for everyone, but if you have cancer, it is even more important to eat right. According to the National Cancer Institute, because your body is battling a disease, adequate nutrition can make you "feel better and stay stronger". A nutritional problem area for cancer patients is the consumption of enough calories. High-calorie foods can help offset that problem.

  1. Nutrition Therapy

    • According to the National Cancer Institute, nutrition therapy exists for cancer patients. Some goals of the therapy are malnutrition prevention and correction, and the prevention of weight loss due to muscle, bone and blood loss. Nutrition therapy also helps the tolerance of harsh treatment and reduces complications from nutrition issues. It aids in the maintenance of strength and energy, the patient's protection from infection, and the overall maintenance of the patient's quality of life.

    Foods for Low Appetite

    • According to the National Cancer Institute, foods that are high in calories and protein are great for those struggling to meet their caloric requirements. As a cancer patient, low appetite may stem in part from the changes in the way you taste foods. Cheese and crackers, muffins, puddings, nutritional supplements, milkshakes, yogurt, ice cream, powdered milk (as an additive to food), deviled eggs, cream cheese, peanut butter, deviled ham and chocolate are all recommended high-calorie and high-protein foods.

    Nuts

    • In general, high-calorie foods are great for getting a good amount of calories in for the day, but it is also important to get a good amount of nutrients as well. Fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients, but are often low in calories. According to NutritionData.com, nuts are high in calories and high in nutrients. Macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, sesame and sunflower seeds, and peanuts all have more than 600 calories in a 100 gram serving.

    Dairy

    • According to NutritionData.com, there are several dairy products that have several calories. The highest calorie dairy product is butter. Butter oil has 876 calories per 100 gram serving, and regular butter (salted or unsalted) has 717 calories. Whole eggs, egg mixes, desert toppings, and cream substitutes also have a high amount of calories. Cheeses like Parmesan, goal, and gruyere have between 413 and 466 calories per 100 gram serving.

    Fast Food

    • Fast-food restaurants have meals with a significant amount of calories. Though diets high in fast foods are generally discouraged for those maintaining a nutritious diet, getting calories---sometimes no matter where they come from---is more important for some cancer patients. According to NutritionData.com, a double cheeseburger from McDonald's has 459 calories and one large serving of French fries has 487 calories. Burger King's Sausage Egg and Cheese Croissan'wich has 493 calories and a medium serving of their hash browns has 472 calories. (See Reference 5)

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