Nutrition

Research supports the vital role of nutrition in cancer care. You can help yourself to get ready for cancer treatment by trying to eat a varied and balanced diet. This will help you to:

• Improve nutritional and functional status
• Increase treatment options and viability
• Enhance recovery post treatment
• Reduce the risk of complications
• Improve immunity and reducing illness
• Reduce length of hospital admission
• Improve medical outcomes
• Enhance overall quality of life and survival

How to have a healthy balanced diet

The Eatwell Guide shows the different types of foods and drinks we should consume – and in what proportions – to have a healthy, balanced diet. It can be applied to all cultural and dietary requirements.

The Eatwell Guide divides the foods and drinks we consume into five main groups. Try to choose a variety of different foods from each of the groups to help you get the wide range of nutrients your body needs to stay healthy and work properly.

The five main food groups are

• Fruit and vegetables
• Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates
• Dairy and alternatives
• Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
• Oils and spreads

Protein is the body’s main building block and is needed to maintain and build muscle and help with wound healing. When you have a cancer diagnosis, it is important to ensure you are including a portion of meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, plant-based alternative, pulses or nuts with every meal.

The following resources have more information on protein and muscle:

There is also support and advice on Healthy Eating and Cancer available on the Macmillan website, and some recipe ideas below:

If you are struggling with low weight, weight loss or poor appetite

If you are struggling with unintentional weight loss, low body weight, are struggling to gain weight or have poor appetite, then you may not be nutritionally optimised to have treatment.

Food fortification, which is the process of adding extra calories, protein, vitamins and minerals, alongside eating energy and nutrient dense foods, will help you meet your needs without increasing portion sizes.

During this time, it is best to avoid low fat foods and drinks, however the general principles of healthy eating remain. To optimise your intake, choose full fat versions of foods, and utilise the resources below.

A good example, is using fortified milk in all drinks and foods that you have. In the below video, oncology dietitian Dove Yu demonstrates how to make fortified milk to maximise calorie and protein intake.

The links below provides information and food fortification recipes to help manage poor appetite and minimise the risk of malnutrition. They can help support you to improve the nourishment of your diet:

If you are struggling with taste changes

Cancer treatments and some medications can change the way that food and drinks taste. A dry mouth can also cause changes to your taste making food less enjoyable.

Changes to your taste can be temporary or longer term depending on the cause. However, it is important to try a range of food and drinks even those that are not familiar. Your diet can become too restrictive if you don’t and you will be at risk of missing out on vital nutrients.

Experiment with new flavours. Your taste may continue to change so re-try tastes that you have avoided – you might like them.

The following resources can help support you with taste changes:

If you have other symptoms or issues that interfere with your enjoyment of food

• Dry mouth, sore mouth, chewing difficulties, breathlessness
• Swallowing issues
• Altered bowel habit
• Bothering smells
• Heartburn, reflux, nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue
• Nausea video
• Frailty

If you have been told to lose weight prior to surgery or treatment

It is important to not purposely lose weight unless you have been specifically told by a surgeon or consultant that you need to lose weight prior to surgery or treatment for it to be safe. You should be aiming to maintain a stable weight before and during cancer treatment, even if you are overweight.

Losing weight, especially muscle mass, can lower your tolerance to treatment, increase side effects, and negatively impact outcomes. 

Maintaining a good nutritional status and staying physically active can improve your ability to cope with treatment, increase energy levels, strengthen your immune system, and enhance your overall well-being. 

If you are advised to lose weight, here are some tips to support a healthier weight:

• Set realistic goals: Aim to lose 0.5-2 lbs (0.2-0.9 kg) per week by eating 200-500 fewer calories a day.

• Avoid fad diets: Focus on a healthy, balanced diet instead of quick fixes.

• Have healthy options available all week: Make a shopping list, prep meals and limit fast food.

• Read food labels: Choose products lower in saturated fat, sugar and salt.

• Follow the UK’s Eatwell Guide: Fill your plate with fibre-rich fruit,
  vegetables, pulses, wholegrains, plant-based proteins and small amounts of dairy or lean meat

• Pick healthier snacks: Replace high-fat, salty or sugary snacks with unsalted nuts, veg sticks, fruit or low-fat yoghurt.

• Control portions: Learn portion sizes and use smaller plates to avoid overeating.

• Eat mindfully: Focus on your meal, eat slowly and stop before you feel full.

• Choose healthier fats: Swap butter or ghee with vegetable oils. Opt for lower-fat dairy and use healthier cooking methods like steaming.

• Cut sugary drinks: Choose water, sugar-free drinks or unsweetened tea/coffee.

• Be physically active – look at our physical activity page for advice and support

Below are some resources to support weight loss in a healthy way.