Dealing with Loss of Appetite

When a cancer patient is enduring radiation and chemo treatments for cancer they enter a seemingly endless cycle that causes them to need nourishment and healthy food options just at the time that the last thing they want to think about is putting food in their mouths. Many cancer patients lose not only the appetite for food, but the ability to taste what they are taking in. Sometimes the mere texture or smell of whatever is on their plate is enough to make them nauseous.

This aversion (both mental and physical) to eating can cause serious stress to the patient and their caregiver as they try to maintain their calories and protein intake in order to help their bodies tolerate and recover quickly from their treatments.

A healthy diet helps a body keep up its strength, prevent tissue breakdown, rebuild damaged tissue, and maintain its defenses against infection. It can also help a patient cope more successfully with side effects. Some cancer treatments are more effective in people who are well-nourished and getting enough calories and protein. Growing numbers of research studies are being done to understand the relationship between good nutrition and cancer survivorship.

We've collected some tips to help patients and caregivers plan for and manage cancer treatment and make successful outcomes more likely. Please note: this information is meant to help patients increase protein intake and calorie consumption - but not at the expense of other components of a balanced diet. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains should still be a part of anyone's meal planning, and perhaps even more so for cancer patients.

Plan ahead.
Stock the pantry and freezer with favorite foods to cut down on shopping trips. Now is not the time to worry about calories, so don't bother with low- and no-fat varieties.

Prepare meals in advance and freeze foods in individual portions. This is a great thing to ask friends to do when they offer to help out. They can kill two birds with one stone by whipping up a few things while they are visiting for an afternoon.

Snack time is ALL the time!
You may need to make a few changes in your regular meal-time routine. Try eating small meals all day long, and having healthy snacks available whenever you feel like you can keep a few bites down. A handful of nuts or peanut butter on crackers can be easy protein-builders. They can also easily be thrown in a bag for car trips. There are some great protein bars on the market now as well... try a few and see which ones you like best, then keep a stash with you all the time and eat anytime you're watching t.v., reading a book, or waiting for an appointment. Other great (easy) options are yogurt, cereal and milk, half a sandwich, and cheese and crackers.

Avoid snacks that could make your treatment-related side effects worse. Some patients suffer from diarrhea, so they might want to limit popcorn and raw fruits and veggies. Radiation can cause "road rash" on the tongue and throat's tender tissues, so you may have to avoid dry, coarse snacks and acidic foods.

Throw out the rules.
If you think some leftover chicken casserole would be perfect for breakfast, don't let anyone tell you different. Right now is not the time to worry about the "normal" ways to plan your meals - if you need to eat, and it sounds good, it's right for you. That said - be careful about taking in a too many empty calories. For example, ice cream is not bad for you, but if you're making a meal of it or polishing off a half-gallon every day, you're missing out on some nutrients you really need.

Don't wait until you're hungry to eat, because you may actually lose your appetite and never feel hungry. Eat every few hours just because you know you need to fuel your body. Just as your automobile can only go so many miles on a tank of gas, your body can only be up and active so long before needing a meal.

Examples of high protein foods:

Milk products - 
Add cheese to baked potatoes, soups, noodles, meat and fruit for added protein. Use milk for cooking in place of water for cereal and cream soups. Ladle some cream sauces on your veggies and pasta. Add powdered milk to cream soups, mashed potatoes and pudding.

Eggs - 
Keep hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for a quick snack. Eat them alone or chop and add to salads, casseroles and soups.

Beans, legumes, nuts and seeds -
There are great options on the nut aisle of the stores! Lots of individual packets and flavored coatings to enhance their taste. You can sprinkle sunflower seeds in salads and on veggies and casseroles, add peanut butter to a milkshake or make a peanut butter and banana sandwich with whole grain bread. Add beans to soups, salads and casseroles. Simple bean burritos are quick and easy to make - use mashed pinto or black beans, and sprinkle a little cheese in for good measure.

Examples of high calorie foods:

Butter and margarine - 
Now's your chance to live like Paula Deen and put butter on everything! Potatoes, rice, pasta, and veggies are a good start. Stir it into soups and casseroles and spread it on bread before adding sandwich meats and cheeses. Remember grilled cheese sandwiches? Now's your chance to pretend you're a kid again.

Milk products - 
Add whipped cream to your desserts, pancakes, waffles, fruit and hot chocolate. Fold it into soups and casseroles and puddings. Add sour cream to potatoes and veggies and the aforementioned bean burrito.

Salad dressings - 
Use regular, not low-fat or diet varieties. Put mayo on your sandwiches and make dips for fresh veggies and fruit.


Some information used in this post was pulled from the American Cancer Society's booklet "Nutrition for the Person with Cancer during Treatment".