Cancer Nutrition and Foods Guide
Good nutrition throughout the cancer journey can help you feel more like yourself, giving you the strength and energy you need during this challenging time. Food is a source of comfort, strength and joy – as well as nutrients, energy and immune support.1 Everyone’s experience with food and eating during cancer is different – so try new things and identify which foods allow you to feel your best as you battle through illness.
Many cancer patients experience changes to their taste, smell and/or food preferences during their illness or treatment.2 While this can be off-putting or confusing, think of it as an opportunity to experiment – see how it feels to nourish your body with immune-supporting, energising ingredients and recipes. Introduce foods you wouldn’t normally seek out – ones which can help manage your symptoms or treatment side effects.1 Challenge yourself to get creative in the kitchen and make some different meals – and involve your loved ones in the process too!
How good nutrition supports your body during cancer treatment
Nutrition plays so many important roles during cancer and treatment. It can:
- Improve your energy levels and strength3
- Help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight and muscle mass3
- Support your mood and help you feel more like yourself3
- Reduce your risk of developing other health complications, like heart disease and diabetes3
- Help you manage any side effects of your treatment4
- Improve the effectiveness and results you can achieve with treatment4
- Speed up your recovery and reduce the amount of time you spend in hospital4
- Support your immune system and its capacity to fight off infections3
…and more!
Some side effects of cancer and treatment, including taste and appetite changes, nausea and mouth sores, can make it difficult to eat enough or get the nutrients you need.2,4 These can even affect how foods taste and feel – meaning your favourite foods may suddenly become intolerable, or vice versa.2
You may need to be more flexible with the foods you’re choosing during this time and eat quite differently to how you normally would.1 You may need to add more high-energy foods to your diet alongside the whole foods you’d normally prioritise to help you get the energy you need to maintain your bodyweight and muscle mass during cancer treatment.1
Your nutritional needs often change during cancer and treatment, and you may require more energy (or calories) and protein.3 If you’re struggling with what to eat, ask your healthcare professional for a referral to a specialist dietitian for support, the following information provides nutrition tips to support you throughout the cancer journey.
The best foods for cancer nutrition
Maintaining your weight and muscle mass should be your number one priority5 when choosing foods to support you during the cancer journey. This helps improve the effectiveness and results of your treatment, supports your recovery and healing, and allows you to feel stronger and more energised as you undergo treatment.1
Your diet may look very different compared to how it normally would,5,6 with many cancer patients requiring high-calorie, high-protein foods to help meet their energy and protein needs.5 A “healthy” diet often involves prioritising whole grains, fruit and veggies, healthy fats and lean proteins, with minimal sugar, salt and unhealthy fats.6 However, during this time you may need to be more flexible with your food choices. A healthy cancer diet may include high-calorie foods to help you meet your energy needs, and greater amounts of protein and dairy to provide the extra nutrients most patients require.6 These tweaks can help you maintain your strength and bodyweight, manage treatment side effects, prevent malnutrition and help you feel more like yourself.1,6
While you may not feel like eating, and the side effects you’re experiencing might affect your appetite, tastes and ability to eat certain foods, maintaining good nutrition can support your recovery.1
With this in mind, here are some of the best foods to prioritise during cancer and treatment.
Proteins: the building blocks of strength
Protein is essential for building and maintaining strength and muscle – making it extra important during cancer treatment.7 Protein plays a key role in supporting your immune system and helping your body fight infection and illness – being particularly crucial at this time.7
Cancer patients need up to twice as much protein as a healthy adult per day,8 yet 2 in 3 aren’t meeting these increased needs.9 Make protein a priority to support your overall recovery and optimise your treatment results.7
Good sources of protein include chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yoghurt, legumes (lentils and beans) and plant-based proteins (like tofu, tempeh and edamame) which are also rich in vitamins and minerals.1
Easy high-protein meal ideas:
- Poached or baked salmon served with tahini or yoghurt dressing, roast vegetables and rice or quinoa.
- Scrambled eggs cooked with milk/cream and parmesan, served with mashed avocado and beans on wholegrain toast.
Healthy carbs: fuel for energy
Carbohydrates provide your body with much-needed energy during cancer treatment and support regular digestion.7 Include plenty of high-fibre, complex carbohydrates1 such as quinoa, brown rice, oats, sweet potato and wholegrain bread in your diet, to provide your body with a steady source of energy and prevent diarrhoea and constipation – common side effects of many cancer treatments.7
Easy carbohydrate-rich meal ideas:
- Oatmeal (or overnight oats) topped with honey and banana
- Wholegrain toast (2 slices) with avocado and scrambled eggs
- Chicken curry with chickpeas and mixed vegetables, served on brown rice.
Meals like these will help you meet your energy needs, which is essential for maintaining your bodyweight and muscle mass and supporting post-treatment recovery.1
Healthy fats: supporting the immune system
Healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids and unsaturated fats, support your immune system function and fight inflammation – which is particularly important during cancer treatment, while your immune system is weakened.7 Good sources of healthy fats include olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocado and oily fish (like salmon or mackerel).
Easy meal ideas containing healthy fats:
- Smoothie containing almond butter or avocado, banana, flax or chia seeds, frozen fruit of your choice, honey and milk.
- Chia pudding topped with almond or peanut butter, granola and honey.
Fruits and veggies: Nature’s Multivitamins for your nutritional needs
Fruit and vegetables are packed with important nutrients, making them an essential food group to prioritise throughout the cancer journey. They’re rich in antioxidants and vitamins which support immunity and recovery. Each different colour of fresh produce contains different nutrients, so include as many different colours and varieties of fruit and veg in your meals as possible.
These foods are also good sources of fibre, which helps to support regular digestion and may help to prevent treatment side effects including constipation or diarrhoea.7 Fibre is also crucial for gut health, which plays a key role in immunity – so fruits and vegetables are supporting your immune health in a few different ways at once!7
Berries, leafy green vegetables, carrots, pumpkin and kiwifruit are some of the best sources to include regularly.
Easy nutrient-rich meal ideas:
- Roasted sweet potato and spinach salad with herbs, feta, nuts, dried cranberries, topped with a lemon and olive oil dressing.
- Grilled fish, served with mixed roasted vegetables cooked in olive oil, herbs and spices.
- Satay chicken stir fry with leafy greens, carrot, capsicum, asparagus and brown rice.
- Snack: Fruit salad with Greek yoghurt and honey.
Discover more nutritious foods to support your immune system during chemo and cancer treatment here.
Foods for your cancer diagnosis that are gentle on the stomach
Many patients experience nausea, digestive problems (like diarrhoea or constipation), mouth ulcers, taste and appetite changes, alongside other side effects during cancer treatment.10
These are often caused by treatments like chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which damage healthy cells in your body while they’re working to target and kill cancer cells.10
Learn more about the side effects of chemotherapy and which foods can help manage them here.
Each of these side effects can make it more challenging to eat enough.11 You may not feel like eating, or find it difficult to enjoy the foods you normally would – but maintaining good nutrition and consistently meeting your energy needs is still important, even when you feel this way.11
On days when side effects are making it harder to eat, focus on gentle, easy-to-consume meals. Below you’ll find meal suggestions and adjustments catering to different side effects to help eating feel more comfortable and appealing.
If you have a dry, sore or sensitive mouth (or mouth sores), prioritise soft, easy-to-eat meals. Avoid foods that may hurt or sting when eating – think crunchy or dry foods like chips, nuts, biscuits and toast, as well as salty and spicy foods.12
Instead, focus on soft foods like custard, smoothies, soup or purees. Moisten and soften food by dipping it into sauces, salsas, dressings, gravy or even a cup of tea if needed.12
If your mouth is dry, try sweet or bitter-tasting foods or drinks like lemonade or chew sugar-free gum/lollies to help product more saliva.12
If you’re struggling with mouth sores, prepare food with a blender or food processor to make food smooth and easy to swallow or chop foods into tiny pieces.12 Stick to room-temperature meals and use a straw when drinking to avoid the sore areas in your mouth. Use a small spoon and take small bites to make it easier to chew. Avoid citrus fruits or other bitter foods, raw vegetables, and tomatoes or tomato sauce.12
Make sure you’re sipping fluids throughout the day and with meals and suck on ice cubes to soothe your mouth.3 Minimise coffee and avoid alcohol, as these are dehydrating and could impair your recovery.3
Foods to try if you have a dry or sore mouth: Mashed potato, pumpkin soup, scrambled eggs, and smoothies.
If you’re experiencing changes to your sense of taste or smell, tweaking the flavours and foods you’re choosing can help manage this.3 Or you can try new foods altogether to discover options you find more pleasant and palatable while your symptoms persist.
To manage taste changes:
- Add flavour to meals with fresh herbs, citrus fruits, spices, ginger, garlic, honey, pepper or pickled foods.3
- Continue trying different foods – your tastes can change throughout your treatment. If you previously enjoyed bitter or sweet flavours, you might find you prefer savoury options now – this is fairly common.3
- Try wooden or bamboo cutlery – sometimes metal utensils (or straws) can contribute to the metallic taste you’re experiencing.3
For smell changes:
- Serve meals cold or at room temperature. Hot food has a stronger smell.3
- Avoid strong smelling foods like onion, garlic or spices.
- Choose foods which don’t require cooking like smoothies, protein or muesli bars, cereal with fruit and milk, sandwiches or Greek yoghurt with mix-ins.
If you’re experiencing nausea or vomiting, adjusting what and how you eat can help.
- Try eating small meals and snacks every 2-3 hours, rather than aiming for three main meals daily. Eating and drinking regularly can help with nausea.3,13
- Opt for dry or bland foods like crackers, toast, cereal or pasta when you’re feeling unwell. Avoid overly sweet, fatty, fried or spicy foods and strong-smelling meals.13
- Try drinks/foods containing ginger to settle your stomach, including ginger tea, ginger beer or ginger biscuits.3,13
- If you’re vomiting, make sure to stay hydrated. If you’re vomiting for over a day or unable to keep fluids down, see a healthcare professional right away.13
Good food options to help manage nausea: Dry, bland foods (crackers, toast, cereal), drinks containing ginger, and broths.
Nutrition and cancer: what to limit
Before changing your diet in any way, or adding vitamin or mineral supplements to your routine, speak to your doctor or dietitian. They can discuss the advantages and disadvantages of any dietary changes and ensure they’re safe for you during and after cancer treatment.
The World Health Organization has identified certain foods linked to cancer which should be limited or avoided, including processed meats like bacon, ham and deli meats.14 Instead, making a few food swaps while you’re undergoing cancer treatment can help you feel healthier and more energised. Try these swaps:
- Processed meats --> Grilled fish, poultry or plant-based protein sources.3 Swapping processed meats for more nutritious sources of protein like grilled fish or legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans) can help reduce your risk of cancer returning, and of developing secondary cancers.3
- High-sugar foods --> Honey or mashed banana. Looking for something to sweeten baked treats or meals? Try switching high-sugar recipes and ingredients like brown/caster/table sugar, cakes, pastries and biscuits for options sweetened with ripe bananas or honey. These can provide longer-lasting energy and prevent feelings of fatigue. These alternatives contain more nutrients and cause less inflammation compared to their high-sugar alternatives.3
Learn more about foods to avoid during cancer treatment here.
A simple, nourishing meal plan: your own special diet
Every patient’s diet during cancer treatment will look different – due to changing tastes and preferences, any side effects you’re experiencing, and your unique energy, protein and nutrient needs.
Below is a sample one-day meal plan incorporating many of the recommended foods to eat during cancer treatment. This meal plan is a guide, as it’s not tailored to your individual needs and preferences. Use it as inspiration or a starting point to develop your own recipe and meal ideas to keep you nourished and strong.
Our cancer treatment meal plan guide
Breakfast: Creamy oatmeal prepared with full-cream cow’s milk or soy milk, topped with cinnamon, berries and honey.
Snack: Fruit smoothie, made with your favourite frozen fruits (banana, mango or berries are great options) and nut butter.If your healthcare professional has recommended an ONS to help you meet your daily nutritional needs, try adding your favourite flavour of Fortisip® Compact Protein to your smoothie for extra energy, protein and nutrients.
Try this nutritious smoothie recipe.
Lunch: Chicken, cheese and avocado wrap on a wholegrain tortilla, served with salad or vegetables.
Dinner: Baked salmon served with greens sauteed in olive oil, ginger and lemon juice/zest, on a bed of quinoa.
Dessert: Full-fat Greek yoghurt topped with nuts and seeds, and fruits of your choice.
Struggling to meet your energy and nutrient needs as you navigate cancer and treatment? Are changes to your tastes and appetite or other side effects making it difficult to eat enough or tolerate the foods you normally enjoy? Speak to your healthcare professional about oral nutritional supplements. You can add Fortisip® Compact Protein to a wide variety of recipes under the guidance of your healthcare professional, to help you meet your daily nutritional needs when your usual diet is not enough.15
Fortisip® is high in calories to help improve your bodyweight when you’re unwell or recovering from illness15 and provides a good source of protein to support the maintenance of muscle mass.16
Explore the Fortisip® range here to find the option best suited to your needs and tastes under the guidance of your healthcare professional.
Food safety and meal prep tips
Some cancer treatments lower your immunity, making it more difficult for your body to fight off infection or illness.3 While your immune system is compromised, you need to take extra precautions when preparing, cooking and storing food to reduce your risk of foodbourne illnesses.3
Follow these tips to prevent contaminating your food or exposing yourself to harmful bacteria and pathogens which can leave you unwell.
When handling and storing food during treatment, take special care to prevent exposure to germs and bacteria.
- Store foods at safe temperatures, making sure to refrigerate food immediately after cooking.3 Scrub fresh fruit and vegetables thoroughly before storing or cooking.3
- Don’t re-freeze chicken, meat or other proteins and foods once they’ve been defrosted.3
- Avoid ready-to-eat foods including chicken, sandwiches, packaged fruit or vegetables, pre-prepared salads, smoked seafood, peeled prawns and deli meats.3 Store and prepare your own produce or eat fresh wherever possible.
- Eat all packaged foods before their use-by dates. Store uneaten food in the fridge in clean, airtight containers and consume within 24 hours of opening.3
Many people like to prepare meals in advance, for convenience and to save time. During your cancer treatment, if you’re looking to ensure your weekly nutrition is covered, try these strategies:
- When prepping foods or meals, use separate utensils, plates and chopping boards for meats or proteins, and fresh produce.12 Wash your hands, knives, cutting boards and food prep areas thoroughly before and after cooking to prevent contamination and exposure to foodbourne illnesses.12
- Store pre-prepared meals in the freezer wherever possible – especially if you won’t be consuming them within 24 hours of cooking. Building up a supply of homemade frozen meals ensures you’re covered on days you don’t feel up to cooking. Freeze pre-prepared meals in individual serving sizes to make them easy to reheat and enjoy.12
- Include plenty of high-protein, high-energy (or high-calorie) ingredients12 in your prepped meals – try adding olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocado, full-fat dairy products and other healthy fats to your cooking to increase their energy content.
- Plan out your meals in advance before you head to the grocery store. This helps ensure you’re only buying what you’ll actually eat, so you don’t fall into the trap of over-buying, then eating foods past their use-by date to avoid waste. Ordering groceries online, to be delivered to your home or picked up, can help here too.
Eating well is about nourishment, not perfection
While nutrition plays a pivotal role in supporting your health and wellbeing throughout cancer treatment, it’s more important to be consistent than it is to be perfect! Be flexible and recognise your eating patterns may not look the same as they normally would. Adapt to your changing needs and preferences, and prioritise eating enough, getting the protein and nutrients you need as often as possible.
If you’re struggling to eat or finding it hard to get enough energy and protein in your diet, speak to your healthcare professional about introducing an oral nutrition supplement (ONS) like the Fortisip® range, to help you meet your daily nutritional needs when your usual diet is not enough.15
Eating nutritious, high-energy and –protein foods may support your recovery and treatment results, and help you feel as much like yourself as possible during this time.
Fortisip is a food for special medical purposes and must be used under medical supervision.
References
1 – Cancer Council NSW. Why eat well? [Internet]. [cited 2025 May 02]. Available from: https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/cancer-information/living-well/nutrition-and-cancer/why-eat-well/
2 – Cancer Council Victoria. Taste and smell changes [Internet]. [cited 2025 May 04]. Available from: https://www.cancervic.org.au/cancer-information/treatments/common-side-effects/taste-and-smell-changes
3 – Cancer Council Australia. Nutrition for People Living with Cancer [Internet]. Sydney: Cancer Council Australia; 2022 [cited 2025 May 01]. Available from: https://www.cancer.org.au/assets/pdf/nutrition-and-cancer-booklet
4 – Sert T, Arslan S. Clinical nutrition approach to colon cancer. World J Adv Res Rev. 2024;23(03):1397-1404.
5 – Stanford Health Care. Nutrition during cancer treatment [Internet]. Stanford: Stanford University; 2025 May 01 [cited 2025 May 05]. Available from: https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-clinics/cancer-nutrition-services/during-cancer-treatment.html
6 – National Cancer Institute. Nutrition in cancer care [Internet]. Bethesda: National Cancer Institute; 2025 May 01 [cited 2025 May 02]. Available from: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/nutrition
7 – Johns Hopkins Medicine. Cancer diet: foods to add and avoid during cancer treatment [Internet]. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Medicine; 2025 May 01 [cited 2025 May 01]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/cancer/cancer-diet-foods-to-add-and-avoid-during-cancer-treatment
8 – Baracos VE, et al. Cancer-associated cachexia. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2018;4:17105.
9 – Dingemans AM, et al. High protein oral nutritional supplements enable the majority of cancer patients to meet protein intake recommendations during systemic anti-cancer treatment: a randomised controlled parallel-group study. Nutrients. 2023;15(24):5030.
10 – Cancer Council NSW. Side effects of chemotherapy [Internet]. [cited 2025 May 01]. Available from: https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/cancer-information/cancer-treatment/chemotherapy/side-effects/
11 – Cancer Australia. Treatment side effects [Internet]. [cited 2025 May 04]. Available from: https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/impacted-cancer/treatment/treatment-side-effects
12 – National Cancer Institute. Nutrition in cancer care [Internet]. Bethesda: National Cancer Institute; 2025 May 01 [cited 2025 May 05]. Available from: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/nutrition
13 – Cancer Council NSW. Nausea and vomiting [Internet]. [cited 2025 May 02]. Available from: https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/cancer-information/living-well/nutrition-and-cancer/treatment-side-effects-and-nutrition/nausea-and-vomiting/
14 – Cancer Council NSW. Red meat, processed meat and cancer [Internet]. Sydney: Cancer Council NSW; 2025 May 01 [cited 2025 May 01]. Available from: https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/1in3cancers/lifestyle-choices-and-cancer/red-meat-processed-meat-and-cancer/
15 – Hickman I, et al. Evidence based practice guidelines for the nutritional management of malnutrition in adult patients across the continuum of care. Nutr Diet. 2009;66(Suppl 3):S1–S34.
16 – Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Schedule 4 – Nutrition, health and related claims [Internet]. Canberra: FSANZ; 2025 May 04 [cited 2025 May 01]. Available from: https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/business/labelling/nutrition-health-and-related-claims
