The Foods That Got Me Through Chemo
Including a Martha Stewart-approved baked potato, a PB&J smoothie, and the salad I ate almost every day
I had no idea what I was going to want to eat during chemo.
I expected the experience to be a little like morning sickness—a combination of nausea and food aversions. And for the most part, it was.
When I was pregnant, the sickness was around-the-clock. With chemo, the nausea was typically really bad the first night, like lie-in-a-dark-room-can’t-move bad, but then it would slowly start to ease in the following days.
As I progressed further along in my treatment, I figured out what worked for me and what didn’t, including what I could tolerate during an actual chemo session. For instance, I learned very quickly that I absolutely could not eat the hot hospital lunch they provided during an infusion. Just thinking about it still makes me gag.
Here’s a list of foods that got me through cancer treatment. And remember, a balanced diet is all very well but that isn’t always possible when you’re nauseous and exhausted, so be gentle with yourself. If you can’t stomach lettuce, don’t stress—you can get back to your salads when you’re done with chemo. Most doctors will tell you not to worry and to simply eat what you can.
Greek Yoghurt
My oncologist suggested I up my protein during treatment. Chemo can break down muscle tissue more quickly, and it can also make it harder to eat full meals because of nausea, appetite loss, and mouth sores. That means you might get less protein over the course of a day. Greek yoghurt is packed with protein (1 cup has 15-20g), so I’d eat it for breakfast topped with berries, ground flaxseeds, walnuts, and honey.
Frozen Fruit
I felt hot a lot during treatment, mostly due to hot flashes (I was put in medical menopause to lower the estrogen in my body). My acupuncturist also told me chemo increases the body’s “yang,” which translated to more heat in the body. Frozen fruit was a simple way to cool down while also getting some nutrition in. I’d regularly make a PB&J smoothie using frozen raspberries, or a mango smoothie with spinach and yoghurt.
Potatoes
The baked potato. Humble yet perfect. I’m talking a steaming potato fresh out the oven, sliced open, slathered in butter and sprinkled with salt. I ate this multiple times a week. Sometimes I’d mix it up and use sweet potato instead.
Granola Bars
A great item to throw in your bag on infusion day. I was partial to the Deliciously Ella brand—I’m obsessed with their cacao and almond butter oat bars (made with just dates, almonds, almond butter, cacao, coconut oil, and salt). Also good are the peanut butter bars, my daughter can’t get enough of them.
Sparkling Water + Fruit Juice
When I was pregnant and nauseous, my husband would make me a “juicy water”—Perrier with a splash of fruit juice (apple, pineapple, cranberry…whatever you fancy!) and lots of ice. So when the nausea rolled around during chemo, I got back on the juicy water train. The cold and sweetness helped with the metallic taste in my mouth (another chemo side effect).
Cheese
I liked simple sharp cheddar, but grab whatever cheese sounds good. Pretty much all I wanted the day after chemo was cheese on bread or crackers. Maybe with some sliced tomato and coarse salt on top. Or ask your loving boyfriend/husband/partner to make you a grilled cheese, ideally alongside a bowl of creamy tomato soup.
Beans
Remember what I said about protein? Beans and pulses are full of it. Chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, white beans, lentils… just stock your pantry with a variety of tins and chuck them on whatever you’re eating. Mash up some butter beans with lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and salt and top your baked potato with it. Or make the famous “Jennifer Aniston Salad.” I ate it for lunch almost everyday during chemo. A quick google search brings up lots of recipes for it. I like this vegan version with a lemony tahini dressing.
Herbal Tea
I’ve never been a coffee drinker and I stopped drinking black tea in the morning during treatment. It’s generally safe to drink caffeine, but I already felt kind of “high” and spacey from the drugs, and I didn’t want to exacerbate that. If I felt like drinking something warm, a ginger or mint tea was nice to have on hand. I was also partial to “Christmas Tea” from YogiTea—the cinnamon and spices were comforting.
Eggs
Sensing a pattern here? More protein! Scramble, fry, or poach three eggs and you have nearly 20g of protein. Put them on toast with sliced avocado if you can stomach it, and you’ve got yourself a great breakfast.
Popsicles
The bright, cold pop of flavor was the perfect antidote to nausea and the metallic mouth taste. I probably ate one a day the week after a chemo session. My favorite flavors were mango or lemon.
Bananas and Peanut Butter
A snack I discovered during treatment: Slice a banana in half lengthways, spread both sides with peanut butter, then sprinkle some chocolate chips on top. We call it a “banana boat” in our house. I omitted the chocolate during chemo because I just didn’t have a taste for it (something I’ve rectified since).
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