These recipes are crafted with nutritional considerations in mind, aiming to provide nourishing and delicious options that can help you maintain strength and promote overall well-being during this challenging time.
If you’re going through breast cancer treatment, it might be hard to eat the way you typically do.
The disease can make you feel too fatigued to go grocery shopping, let alone cook. Some breast cancer treatments can also leave you with nausea, low appetite, and a sore mouth.
But eating a balanced diet is particularly important when you have a serious disease like breast cancer. Getting enough nutrients can boost your energy levels and help your body heal from treatments.
When you’re living with breast cancer and undergoing treatment, you might not always feel up to spending lots of time in the kitchen — and that’s OK. You might be able to arrange for food delivery from a professional service or ask loved ones to pitch in.
But in case you’re feeling well enough to cook, here are some specific recipes that can help you adjust to certain challenges of breast cancer.
What is a dietitian?
A dietitian is a healthcare professional who specializes in nutrition and works with people to help them optimize their diets. Oncology dietitians work directly with people with cancer. An oncology dietitian can help people with breast cancer create meal plans to make sure they get adequate nutrition in their diet, stay strong throughout their treatment, and experience fewer treatment side effects.
Nausea is a common side effect of many chemotherapy medications. You may find it easier to eat several small meals made from simple ingredients, rather than a few big meals, throughout the day.
A classic baked potato, for example, could be a tolerable small meal when you’re feeling nauseated.
Here are some other recipes to try when you have nausea:
- Chicken rice soup: This classic soup is easy to digest and comforting and has mild flavors. This recipe makes a big enough batch for leftovers to freeze.
- Lemon smoothie: The tart smell and taste of lemon in this smoothie may be helpful for nausea. Plus, you might find it easier to sip a nutrient-rich beverage than to chew food.
- Baked oatmeal: The soft texture and flavors of this oatmeal may make eating more tolerable when you’re feeling sick.
Severe nausea can make it very difficult to eat enough food. If you’re regularly coping with this symptom, get in touch with your cancer care team. They may be able to prescribe medications to ease nausea.
Here are some other tips for eating when you’re feeling nauseated from cancer treatment:
- Try bland, simple foods that don’t have strong smells.
- Avoid foods that are high in fat or spicy.
- Sniffing fresh lemon, sipping ginger ale, or chewing ginger candies may help reduce nausea.
- Eat in a comfortable place that isn’t too hot or stuffy.
Many people with breast cancer experience changes in their appetite. You may not be interested in eating or may find yourself feeling full more quickly than usual.
It’s important to find ways to adjust to a low appetite. When you’re going through treatment and coping with the stress of an illness, it’s essential to give your body the nutrients it needs.
Here are some tips to help with low appetite:
- Set a timer to remind yourself to eat every few hours.
- Make food more appealing by adding sauces, oils, cheese, or dressings. These ingredients can help boost flavor, calories, and nutrients.
- Go for a walk or get some fresh air to see whether it helps boost your appetite.
- Make meals more pleasant by eating with someone or eating while watching your favorite show.
- Consider smoothies or shakes if drinking feels easier than eating.
Here are some recipes with plenty of calories and protein to help you make the most of each meal:
- High protein mac and cheese: Cheese, milk, and Greek yogurt make this mac and cheese a protein-packed meal. This recipe has several optional add-ins, so you can customize it to your liking.
- High protein blueberry smoothie: Try sipping this smoothie throughout the day for some extra nutrition.
- Coconut banana muffins: There are plenty of nutrients in these muffins, which freeze well for a quick snack. Smear on some peanut butter to boost the protein content.
Research suggests that eating more fruits and vegetables may
Here are some recipes featuring fruits or vegetables:
- Veggie soup: Use whatever vegetables you have around to put together this simple soup.
- Grilled fruit salad: This is a bright and sweet way to make a meal of fresh fruit.
- Frozen fruit pops: These fruit pops make a good-for-you frozen snack.
Here are some other tips for adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet:
- Wash and chop vegetables and fruit ahead of time so they’re ready to eat.
- Add extra veggies to pasta or rice dishes.
- Frozen vegetables and fruit eliminate the need for washing or chopping, so they can be helpful to keep on hand.
One common side effect of chemotherapy is a sore mouth or throat, which can make eating difficult. Damage to cells in those areas can cause discomfort, but it usually goes away after you finish treatments.
If you have a sore mouth, you may find it easier to eat soft, textured foods that aren’t too acidic or spicy. It may also be helpful to cut food into small, bite-size pieces and use sauces or gravies to soften your foods.
Here are some recipes to try if you have a sore mouth during breast cancer treatments:
- Smoothie bowl: This is a simple smoothie bowl without any citrus, which can be irritating. If the consistency is too thick, you can add more liquid and drink it with a straw.
- Muffin tin eggs: This recipe comes in three different versions, so you can make a version with flavors you love. Depending on how your mouth feels, you can keep the recipe even simpler, with just eggs and cheese.
- Butternut squash soup: This soup is creamy and smooth and has a mild flavor. Like most other soups and stews, it freezes well.
Cancer-related fatigue is not your everyday kind of fatigue. This is the completely-out-of-energy kind of tired that makes it hard to do anything. When you’re this exhausted, it can be difficult to eat enough food, let alone buy and prepare ingredients.
Here are some tips for managing meals when you’re dealing with fatigue:
- When friends ask how they can help, be ready with a grocery list or meal requests.
- Arrange for a grocery or meal delivery service.
- Consider using a slow cooker or pressure cooker to cook in a hands-off way.
- Fill your pantry with nutrient-packed grab-and-go snacks, such as fruit or crackers with nut butter, to munch on when you’re not feeling up to cooking.
When you’re feeling energized, consider making big batches of meals that you can freeze and reheat at a later date. Here are some breast cancer-friendly freezable recipes:
- Lentil stew: Recommended as part of the Mediterranean diet, lentils are a great source of protein and fiber.
- Chicken pasta bake: This mildly flavored casserole is a wonderful comfort food. Consider skipping the chili flakes if your mouth is sore.
- Turkey black bean chili: This recipe could not be easier — just put everything into your slow cooker and let it be.
Research into the role of diet in breast cancer outcomes has shed light on some eating patterns that may be helpful, although further study is needed.
Protein
A
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Sources of protein include:
- beef, chicken, goat, lamb, turkey, and fish
- eggs
- milk, yogurt, and cheese
- soy products such as soy beverages, tofu, and tempeh
- beans, peas, and lentils
- nuts such as almonds, pecans, peanuts, and cashews
- seeds such as flax, pumpkin, hemp, and chia
- peanut butter and other nut butters
Mediterranean diet
A Mediterranean diet may be beneficial for people with breast cancer. The Mediterranean diet is rich in:
- healthy fats from sources such as nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, olive oil, and fish
- a variety of fruits and vegetables
- lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, and fish
- beans, peas, and lentils
- whole grains, including barley, rice, wheat, buckwheat, and oats
In a
Another
Best foods for breast cancer
It’s not clear whether eating a specific diet can improve outcomes for everyone with breast cancer. However, a balanced, nutrient-rich diet is usually linked with better results than an eating pattern that includes lots of refined sugars, red meats, and processed meats, according to the
A balanced diet may include:
- Grains: rice, pasta, quinoa, teff, bulgar, buckwheat, oats, and wheat
- Lean proteins: chicken, fish, soy products, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and eggs
- Dairy and nondairy alternatives: yogurt, cheese, and milk, as well as plant-based alternative milks made from almond, soy, or oats
- Fruits: a variety of fruits, including fresh, frozen, dried, and canned types
- Vegetables: vegetables in a rainbow of colors, whether they are fresh, frozen, or canned
A diet that works well for you shouldn’t only focus on the essential nutrients — it should also include foods you enjoy. So make sure you incorporate some favorite foods that you eat simply because they taste good and feel nourishing in your body.
It can be tricky to eat when you have breast cancer. Cancer-related fatigue can leave you without enough energy to go grocery shopping or cook. Cancer treatment can also cause a sore mouth and nausea, both of which can make mealtimes a challenge.
Certain dishes, such as smoothie bowls, freezable soups, and mild comfort foods, can help make eating a little easier when you’re living with breast cancer.
Keep in mind that there’s no one diet that’s best for people with breast cancer. Consider focusing on a balanced diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables but also incorporates foods that you eat simply for enjoyment.
If you need more support, you can get more personalized recommendations from a registered dietitian, your cancer care team, or both.