Helpful Hints Regarding – Taste Alterations

Maintaining adequate nutrition is a crucial part of your cancer treatment. Eating a variety of foods daily from all the foods groups will help you obtain the nutrients you need to maintain your strength, feel better during your treatment, and/or heal any post-operative wounds. However, you may have difficulty consuming some foods either due to the cancer itself or to the side effects of treatment. Therefore, you may need to make some changes to improve your food intake based on your symptoms, as described below. To assure nutrient adequacy, you may be requested to keep a food intake log for a Registered and/or Licensed Dietitian to assess.

• Tart foods will enhance flavors (for those without a sore mouth or throat). Try orange juice, pickles, lemons, limes, vinegar, or tomato juice.
• If you are not tolerating meats very well, try marinating them in fruit juice, sweet wine, Italian dressing, or sweet-sour sauce for more taste; or try meat alternatives such as eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, tofu, vegetarian meat substitutes, yogurt, and peanut butter.
• Try various seasonings to enhance flavor.
• Serve foods chilled or at room temperature.
• Avoid smoking.