Nutrition during Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy can affect appetite, taste, weight and cause unpleasant digestive issues. I am often told by patients that have been advised by well meaning friends or relatives to try the new diets on social media (sometimes not evidence based). For newly diagnosed cancer patients this can be overwhelming particularly if you are already experiencing side effects of treatment

Why is Good Nutrition important?

Maintaining good nutrition is very important as it can help your body tolerate treatment and it's side effects and help you to feel stronger as well as supporting healing and recovery. Getting nutritional advice from a registered dietitian before your treatment starts is very beneficial.

Practical Tips

Here a few practical tips:

·      Small Frequent Meals- If you find large meals overwhelming, small frequent meals and snacks can be more tolerable when you are undergoing treatment.

·       Planning ahead – planning your meals ahead of treatment can really help on those days you feel fatigued and too tired to cook. When you have energy you could try cooking a large batch of soups, pasta sauces and stews & placing them in the freezer.

·       Stocking up on tins and frozen foods- good staples to have at hand are foods such as canned lentils, beans, chickpeas, ready made grain pouches (for example, rice, quinoa) – these options can be useful as they require less effort to prepare.

·       Prioritise Protein -  protein supports tissue repair and healing ; therefore you should include food sources such as lean meats, eggs and dairy at each meal. If you are vegetarian then lentils, beans, tofu, plant based sources and dairy products  are good protein choices. A dietitian can help you determine how much protein you would need based on your weight and your clinical condition.   

Sometimes you may feel that you are not getting enough calories and protein and are struggling with your appetite. You may be experiencing treatment side effects such as nausea, digestive issues, and mouth sores.  In these circumstances I discuss with my clients where prescribed supplements can help. If you would like to see me for one to one advice please contact me.

Please contact me: https://www.dietitiansroom.com/contact-us

By Dahlia Kulkarni ( Registered Oncology Dietitian).

This blog is for general information only and should not be used as substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.