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Best Foods for Cancer Patients: What to Eat During Chemotherapy, What to Avoid, and Post-Chemo Diet Tips
By Raveena M Prakash
A cancer diagnosis changes everything. From your daily routine to your emotional well-being, it impacts every aspect of life, including how and what you eat. Cancer treatment comes with undergoing several treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and many other treatments.
If you are someone diagnosed with cancer and your doctor has recommended chemotherapy for the speedy recovery of your cancer, then there are some foods that help your cancer journey and provide enough energy to deal with chemotherapy. If you are looking for a proper diet for a cancer patient, then read further!
While food alone can't cure any type of cancer, however, nourishing your body with the right nutrients and vitamins can help strengthen your immune system, reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, and improve your overall quality of life.
In this article, we'll dive deep into the most essential foods to include in your diet before and after chemotherapy and explain how they matter!
Why is your diet important during cancer treatment?
Cancer treatments can affect your appetite and how your body uses the nutrients and vitamins from the foods. It's essential to provide foods with essential nutrients and calories, which help you to stay healthy and strong during the treatment. It's important to understand that good nutrition is a vital part of your cancer treatment and recovery.
Cancer treatments can often lead to many changes in a patient’s body, including their appetite, digestion, and body weight. It's important to pay close attention to your diet. A proper cancer patient diet menu might help you to maintain a healthy weight.
Eating a healthy and more balanced diet during cancer treatment can help with these:
- Helps to manage side effects of cancer treatments
- Increase energy level in patients
- Reduce inflammation
- Improves overall well-being
- Preserve immune system
The best foods for cancer patients
Cancer patients need some extra calories and proteins to manage the treatments and their side effects. Following a healthy, balanced diet that includes high-nutrient foods, proteins, whole grains, and a variety of leafy vegetables and fresh fruits works magic and will be an excellent option for any cancer patients.
Protein rich foods:
The best foods to eat during cancer treatments are proteins, especially plant-based proteins. It offers high levels of vitamins and minerals to cancer patients, which help to provide you with enough energy to cope with the treatments.
Apart from plant-based proteins, you can also consider milk products, and if you consider eating animal proteins, then consider eating lean options like chicken and fish as well. Please consult your doctor before making a diet decision.
Protein-rich foods may include
- beans
- legumes
- lentils
- Nuts & seeds
- chicken
- eggs
- seafoods
- Yogurt
- Cheese
Healthy fats (Omega 3 fatty acids):
Some studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods such as fish, flaxseed, and walnuts help cancer patients to lessen muscle loss. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats offer many healthy benefits to cancer patients. Healthy fat foods help to fight inflammation and improve the cardiovascular health of any cancer patients.
Healthy fats foods include:
- Walnuts
- Olive oil
- Grape seed oil
- Avocados
Healthy carbohydrates:
Healthy carbohydrate foods provide long-lasting energy, and the fiber in them will help with gut energy. Additionally, the B vitamins support cancer patients metabolism and regulate brain function.
Healthy carbohydrate foods may include:
- Whole grain such as whole wheat
- Quinoa
- Brown rice
- Oats
- Bran
- barley
Fruits and Vegetables:
Adding colorful fruits and vegetables such as berries, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables to your diet can be helpful to your cancer healing journey. These types of fruits and vegetables are a great source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. All of these components might help with inflammation and healing in the body.
These fruits and vegetables may include:
- Blueberries
- Leafy greens: spinach, kale
- Cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
- Carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- pumpkin
Hydrating fluids and water intake:
Active cancer treatments often lead the cancer patient to dehydration and digestive issues. Staying hydrated helps to flush out any toxins and helps to reduce the side effects of treatments such as fatigue and nausea.
These may include:
- Normal water or infused water (with lemon, ginger, chamomile, or chia seeds)
- Herbal teas
- Coconut water
- Electrolyte water
- Soups and broths
What to Eat During Chemotherapy
Eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet while on chemotherapy often helps you to support your cancer treatment and overall quality of life. There are some foods that are mild in flavor and easy for the stomach, such as eggs and oatmeal, which are good options to eat during your chemotherapy treatments.
Here are some more foods to eat during your chemotherapy:
These may include
- Oatmeals
- Avocado
- Eggs
- Broth
- Almonds and other nuts
- Pumpkin seeds
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage)
- Kale
- Bread
- Fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines)
- Smoothies
Foods to avoid while on chemotherapy
There are certain foods to avoid during the chemotherapy treatment to reduce the risk of any infection or inflammation in the patient's body. Avoiding some foods while on chemotherapy might prevent the side effects of chemotherapy.
The foods to avoid during chemotherapy may include:
- Lightly cooked or raw fish: Cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy should avoid consuming lightly cooked foods or raw fish, which might increase the risk of foodborne diseases. Cancer patients are often seen as immunocompromised, and they are often vulnerable to infections and bacteria present in the undercooked food. It's often advised to consume thoroughly cooked fish to avoid the chances of infection.
- Soft cooked eggs or foods: Soft-cooked eggs are considered to be avoided during chemotherapy. Undercooked eggs might contain some infectious organisms or pathogens, such as salmonella, inside or outside the egg. This might cause severe health issues in patients who have less immunity. Try to eat fully cooked eggs and avoid undercooked eggs.
- Unpasteurized cheeses and milk products: Cancer patients should strictly avoid consuming unpasteurized cheeses and other milk products during their chemotherapy. Both these products might increase the risk of many infections due to the presence of many bacteria, also known as listeria. Listeria is known for causing multiple diseases in cancer patients, especially patients with low immunity. A cancer patient should consume pasteurized dairy products.
- Unwashed fruits and vegetables: Any cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy treatment should avoid consuming unwashed fruits and vegetables, as they might contain several harmful bacteria and parasites, which often cause infection, especially in people with poor immune systems. It's advisable to thoroughly wash the vegetables and fruits before cooking or eating. This will effectively remove any bacteria and parasites and even dirt from both vegetables and fruit.
- Avoid Chilled or ready to eat food products: Patients undergoing chemo and radiation therapy should avoid consuming food products that are chilled or ready to eat. If these food products are not kept in any safe conditions, they are at high risk of developing any harmful organisms such as salmonella and Listeria.
- Variety of melons: Avoid consuming melons and their varieties, such as watermelon and cantaloupe, during cancer treatments, especially chemotherapy. If you avoid consuming these when they have been kept long after their cutting, this will further reduce the risk of infections caused by some harmful bacteria, mainly listeria and salmonella.
Leaves or sprouts: Trying to avoid consuming leafy vegetables or sprouts during chemotherapy is often recommended by many cancer specialists. This might reduce the risk of bacterial infection in patients. Sprouts such as bean sprouts or alfalfa or any raw leaves such as lettuce might contain various bacteria like E. coli. This can cause any bacterial infection, especially in low-immunity patients. Choose thoroughly cooked vegetables to reduce the chance of infection.
Diet after chemotherapy
A cancer patient might experience several side effects of chemotherapy after their treatments. These side effects can adversely impact the patient's eating patterns. For example, a patient with a sore mouth may find it difficult to eat acidic fruits, or a patient with side effects of diarrhea might avoid consuming high-fiber foods.
Here is the list of what to eat after chemotherapy:
- Eat colorful fruits and vegetables daily.
- Include dark green and yellow vegetables and citrus fruits in your diet.
- Eat high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
- Limit the intake of added sugars and highly refined carbohydrates.
- Include protein-rich foods at every meal and snack.
- Avoid alcohol consumption.
- Avoid smoking.
If you are following chemotherapy, it's essential to check with your cancer care team to find out any food restrictions for your specific cancer type and stage. It's advised to ask your dietitian to help you with creating a cancer patient diet menu specifically for you to get a more balanced, nutritious eating plan that is suitable for your cancer healing journey.
Consult Today
Getting proper nutrition is essential during chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. Eating the right foods helps with cancer healing, prevents cancer infection, and reduces the intensity of chemotherapy, in addition to the side effects of chemotherapy. Meanwhile, choosing the right food is not just about nutrition; it's mainly about reclaiming control and empowering your body with the proper nutrition and care it deserves.
At Oncare Cancer Center, we are committed to walking the cancer journey with you, and we believe cancer healing goes beyond treatment. Our experienced cancer specialists and care team work closely with patients to create personalized diet plans, along with offering guidance and supporting you by offering affordable cancer treatment packages with high-quality cancer treatments.
If you or any loved ones of yours are undergoing chemotherapy and cancer treatments, and you are worried about their well-being and nutrition, then don’t forget to visit Oncare Cancer Center’s website and book an appointment today!
Trust Oncare Cancer Center, because when care meets nourishment, recovery becomes easier!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Some dietary changes help the cancer patient to manage side effects after your treatment begins.
These may include:
- Loss of appetite: Eating small meals or nutritious foods throughout the day, rather than eating three large meals.
- Constipation: Drink more water, include a fiber supplement, and add more vegetables and beans to your meals.
- Diarrhea: Select foods or drinks with sodium and potassium (such as bananas and all-natural fruit juices).
- Loss of taste: Consider trying foods with a few different spices, and you can use lemons and limes to get some flavors in your food.
- Nausea: Anti-nausea foods like citrus, ginger, and peppermint oil, or adding a slice of lemon, drinking ginger tea, and eating ginger help with nausea.
There are some cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy that might cause a variety of side effects in a patient.
These may include:
- Constipation: This can cause major discomfort and reduce the desire to eat.
- Diarrhea: With this, essential nutrients get drained from the patient’s body.
- Fatigue: This will make the patient stay less active.
- Loss of taste: It will make the food not appealing to eat.
- Nausea and vomiting: This can also reduce your appetite and lead to weight loss.
- Try to eat a freshly cooked meal every time.
- Split your large three-time meals into several small meals (which you can eat during the day; eating small, frequent meals is gut-friendly).
- Include pulses and protein-rich foods such as fish, eggs, soybeans, chickpeas, dry foods, and chicken in your meals.
- Sprinkle some nuts and seeds in your snacks or desserts.
- Drink high-protein beverages such as smoothies.
- Drink more water and try to drink more water between meals.
- Follow a light exercise or walk every day to improve your stamina.
- Don’t resist cravings; eat your favorite snacks.