Eating Well During Cancer Treatment: Foods & Nutrition Tips

• Rinse your mouth with tea, ginger ale, salted water, or baking soda water before eating.
• Use plastic utensils if you experience a metallic taste.
• Chew candy, mints, or gum to remove lingering unpleasant tastes.
• Season food with lemon, vinegar, herbs, or pickled foods (avoid if you have mouth sores).
• Serve foods cold or at room temperature to reduce strong tastes.
• Eat frozen fruits like sorbet, melon, oranges, grapes, and watermelon.

• Eat soft, liquid foods and thick fluids instead of thin liquids.
• Try thickening agents like tapioca, flour, cornstarch, pureed vegetables, and instant potatoes.
• Choose soft or pureed foods like yogurt, soft cheese, minced meat, mashed potatoes, and thick soups.
• Add syrups, honey, butter, or margarine to increase calorie intake.
• Inform your doctor if you experience coughing or choking while eating.

• Eat soft, bland, lukewarm, or cold foods.
• Avoid acidic, spicy, fried, or salty foods.
• Stay away from irritating spices like chili powder, pepper, curry, and vinegar.
• Eat creamy, soft foods such as mashed vegetables, eggs, milkshakes, ice cream, and liquid supplements.
• Blend and moisten dry foods.

• Drink plenty of clear, non-carbonated liquids.
• Consume room-temperature liquids for better tolerance.
• Eat small, frequent meals and snacks.
• Avoid greasy, fried, spicy, or very sweet foods.
• Limit milk or dairy to 2 cups a day.
• Follow a fiber-restricted diet and avoid gas-producing vegetables and chewing gum.
• Consume salty foods like soup, sports drinks, and crackers.
• Drink at least 1 cup of liquid after each loose bowel movement.

• Drink 8 to 12 cups of liquid daily and carry a water bottle when out.
• Take small bites and chew food completely.
• Eat soft, moist foods such as blenderized fruits and vegetables, soft-cooked chicken, and fish.
• Moisten foods with soup, sauce, gravy, or cream.
• Maintain good oral hygiene with a soft-bristle toothbrush and regular rinsing.
• Avoid alcohol-containing mouthwashes, acidic drinks, and caffeine.
• Use a cool mist humidifier at night to keep air moist.

• Eat 6 to 8 small meals daily instead of 3 large meals.
• Start the day with dry foods like crackers, toast, or cereal.
• Avoid strong-smelling foods; opt for mild, easy-to-digest options.
• Drink at least 8 cups of liquid daily, sipping 30–60 minutes after meals.
• Avoid overly sweet, greasy, fried, or spicy foods.
• Eat in a well-ventilated space or cook outdoors to minimize odors.

• Tongue, nasal cavity, pharynx

• Lung, esophagus, breast

• Large or small intestine, prostate, cervix, uterus, rectum, pancreas
  
  

• Sore mouth, difficulty or pain with swallowing, change in taste or loss of taste, sore throat, dry mouth, thick saliva 

• Difficulty in swallowing, heartburn

• Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, gas, bloating, difficulty tolerating milk products 

• Snacking is important when you are unable to eat well. Keep snacks available at all times. Include one to two snacks a day in between meal times to boost your calories and protein intake.

• Bread and dry biscuit
• Puddings and custards
• Milk or cocoa drink
• Toasted bread with cheese
• Hard- boiled or scrambled egg
• Nuts and seeds
• Steamed kueh/bun sandwiches

• When preparing food, try to add the items listed below into your meals such as a sandwich with cheese or margarine, or add whipped cream, milk powder or sugar in a beverage.

• Salad dressings & mayonnaise
• Sugar
• Ice cream,
• Jam or marmalade
• Peanut butter paste
• Avocado

• Protein is important for wound healing and rebuilds muscle. Food sources high in protein are listed below.

Cheese
Melt on sandwiches, bread, omelette, muffins, hamburgers, eggs - Grate and add to soup, sauce, casserole, vegetables.

Milk or powdered milk
- Use milk in beverages
- Use in preparing hot cereal, pudding, gravy or soups

 Commercial nutritional supplement
- Drinks on its own, preferably 1-3 times a day depending on appetite

Meat & Fish
- Steamed fish, minced beef or meat.
- Add chopped, cooked meat or fish to soup, porridge or noodle

Eggs
- Add chopped, hard boiled eggs to soups, dishes and sandwiches. (Avoid raw eggs, it may contain harmful bacteria. Because your treatment may make you susceptible to infection. Make sure all eggs are well cooked.)

Beans & Legumes
- Spread on bread, crackers or pancakes.
- Cook and use dried peas, beans and bean curd (tofu) in soups, porridge and noodles.