Avoid takeaways to avoid the risk of food poisoning. Avoid un-pasteurised dairy products to avoid the risk of food poisoning. Drink a lot of water. It is advisable to drink around 2 litres in the 24 hours following your chemo session and plenty of water throughout the course of chemo.
It is best to avoid eating out and takeaway food if your immunity is low. If you eat out, try to choose somewhere where you know the food will be freshly prepared and properly cooked.
Don't go crazy on junk food.
But remember your body is under a lot of stress and needs good nutrition. At least two meals a day, try to emphasize fruits, veggies, lean meats, and whole grains. Whole grains fight constipation. Really fatty foods can make nausea worse.
When eating out while undergoing cancer treatment, proper handwashing is your best defense in a public setting. Unless your diet has been restricted by your oncology team, continue to eat a variety of foods in your diet. Whether eating at home or dining out, food safety is critical.
You should also avoid fried foods that contain a lot of hydrogenated oils, which can increase inflammation. Since people with cancer often have compromised immune systems, consider skipping foods that carry the risk of foodborne illnesses, including: Lightly cooked or raw fish, such as sushi.
Can I eat pizza during chemo? Many people wonder if they can continue eating their favorite foods during chemo. Good news—you can! Unless something upsets your stomach, feel free to keep eating foods you enjoy.
Healthcare professionals advise that a person undergoing chemotherapy can have pizza as long as they are able to tolerate this food. Chemotherapy may affect a person's sense of taste, appetite, and ability to absorb nutrients from food. Pizza is a flavorful, high calorie food that has nutritional value as a snack.
Take away foods particularly Chinese/Indian with rice. Hard cheese (e.g. Cheddar, Double Gloucester). Pasteurised plain and fruit yoghurts. Well cooked meat, poultry and fish.
However, some people who are receiving or have recently finished cancer treatment should avoid some foods entirely, even if they may have eaten them with no problems in the past. These include: Cold hot dogs or deli lunch meat (cold cuts)—Always cook or reheat until the meat is steaming hot. Dry-cured, uncooked salami.
Avoid dry and sharp foods such as toast, crackers, and chips. Suck on ice chips, popsicles, or frozen fruit. Some chemotherapy medications cause cold intolerance, so avoid this if you have been told to skip very cold foods.
For most people the side effects were worst in the first few days after treatment, then they gradually felt better until the next treatment. Some said the effects were worse with each successive treatment. Most side effects don't persist and disappear within a few weeks after the end of treatment.
If you're currently undergoing cancer treatment and losing weight, now is the time to indulge in comfort foods. Macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup, meatloaf, mashed potatoes and ice cream can be great options as their high calories, creamy textures and low-fiber content make them easy to chew and digest.
Foods to avoid (especially for patients during and after chemo): Hot, spicy foods (i.e. hot pepper, curry, Cajun spice mix). High fiber foods (i.e. raw fruit and vegetables, coarse whole grains). Fatty, greasy, or fried foods.
Food-Prep Awareness
Wood can harbor bacteria despite how well you wash it. Swap rare beef for some well-cooked poultry—at least until your chemotherapy is over. Use a meat thermometer to figure out whether your meat is thoroughly cooked, instead of "eyeballing it."
All milk, yogurt, cheese, and other dairy should have the word pasteurized on their containers. Do not eat soft cheeses or cheeses with blue veins (such as Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola, and Bleu). Do not eat Mexican-style cheeses (such as Queso Blanco fresco and Cotija).
The American Cancer Society recommends a high-quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. The most advantageous way to eat dark chocolate without any added ingredients such as caramel, peanut butter, marshmallow, etc.
Some raw foods can contain germs that can hurt you when cancer or treatment weakens your immune system. Ask your health care provider about how to eat well and safely. Eggs can have bacteria called Salmonella on their inside and outside. This is why eggs should be cooked completely before eating.
Eat a variety of whole grains (like whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta and brown rice). Limit refined grains (like white rice and white bread). Choose fish, poultry, beans and nuts. Limit red meat and cheese.
2-3 servings of whole grain bread, pastas, rice, etc. every day. Limit fat intake to 30% of calories (preferably less than or equal to 20% of calories) every day. Limit intake of simple sugars.
At AICR, we do encourage you to eat more cancer-preventive colorful, non-starchy vegetables, but we don't shy away from including the white potato on the New American Plate. Here's the key – keep the skin, limit the add-ons and pair with other colorful veggies for a powerful cancer-fighting meal.
Take care with cheese bought from farmer's markets and locally produced cheeses. Pasteurised cheeses such as most cheddars, edam, gouda, jarlsberg, emmental, cottage cheese, mozzarella, feta, paneer, ricotta, halloumi processed cheeses such as philadelphia, dairylea and laughing cow.
Meat: Ground beef has a large surface area, making it a higher food-borne illness risk which is one reason that it's important to temp your meat burgers to 160 degrees – especially if you have any type of immune compromise during or post cancer treatment.