How to Eat Well Despite a Lack of Appetite

Even With Lack of Appetite, You Can Eat Well During Treatment

You Can Manage Lack of Appetite

Lack of appetite can be a frustrating side effect of cancer treatment. But even if you don't fee like eating, you can use a few tips and tricks to help yourself get the nutrition you need.

Some Helpful Tips for Lack of Appetite

• Eat five or six small meals and snacks each day. Don't focus as much on how much you are eating, but do make sure to eat often.
• Treat food like fuel. It's hard to view food only as fuel, because we all eat for a variety of reasons... boredom, stress, to celebrate, to mourn, to socialize... But for now, view food as simply an important part of your treatment. The pleasure of eating will return in time, after treatment.

• Focus on protein. Eating high protein foods before and after treatment days may help improve appetite and keep nausea at bay. Try plain chicken, egg whites, lean pork or beef, or yogurt.
• Keep snacks handy. Put a granola bar or whole grain bagel into your purse, bag, or briefcase.
• Use convenience foods if they are helpful. You can try granola bars; fruit; nuts; yogurt; pudding; pretzels or crackers; single serving sizes of canned fruit, tuna, or chicken; trail mix; power bars; hard boiled eggs; single servings of juice; and dry cereal.

Eat more high-calorie, high-protein foods, such as nuts, seeds, peanut butter and other nut butters, smoothies and shakes, dried fruit and nuts, and eggs and toast.

• Eat your favorite foods whenever they sound good to you. Have eggs or pancakes for dinner and pasta for breakfast if that is what you want.
• Set an alarm or use some other reminder such as a sticky note to remind yourself to eat frequently. When your alarm goes off, have at least 1 or 2 bites of food, or more if you can.
• Don't wait until you are hungry to eat. Instead, take a bite or two as often as you can to squeeze in more calories.
• To save room for food and avoid loading up on things that don't provide calories, such as water and coffee, drink most of your liquids between meals.
• Drink fluids that provide calories, such as juice, smoothies, milk, or soy or rice milk.