By Hilary Wright, Staff Writer

(Page 2 of 3)

• Add extra ice cream to milkshakes.

• Add small pieces of meat, fish or poultry to soups and to vegetable, noodle and rice casseroles.

• Add grated cheese to cream sauces, casseroles, or vegetables.

• Melt sliced cheese over hot apple pie.

• Combine cottage cheese and cream cheese with fruit.

• Use cream cheese and margarine on hot bread or rolls.

• Blend finely chopped hard-boiled eggs into sauces, gravies, chopped meats, or salad dressings or sprinkle over salads.

Loss of Appetite

Sometimes medical treatments and therapies can cause a decrease in appetite. Here are some ways that caregivers can help make favorite dishes appealing again:

• Try seasonings such as lemon juice, mint, basil and other herbs and spices to perk up the taste and smell of food.

• Add sugar and salt to foods, if intake is not restricted.

• Serve food attractively and in a pleasing atmosphere.

• Vary the colors of foods on the plate and use garnishes such as lemon or lime wedges.

• Colorful place settings and soft background music can help make mealtimes more enjoyable, too.

• Use a therapeutic nutritional beverage such to help reverse the metabolic changes that can affect appetite.

• Walk the dog or take an early-evening stroll before eating.

• Light exercise may help stimulate the appetite.

• Plan the biggest meal of the day when a person with cancer is most hungry, even if that’s early in the day.

• Serve foods a loved one enjoys whenever they feel like eating, even if it’s not a usual meal time.

Overcoming Vomiting and Nausea

If a person with cancer is vomiting, has nausea, or feels too full to eat, try these tips:

• Drink liquids an hour before or after eating to keep from filling up quickly during meals.

• Eat high-carbohydrate foods such as crackers and toast if troubled by nausea. They move through the stomach quickly and may be particularly helpful if eaten first thing in the morning.
  

• Eat slowly and chew food thoroughly.

 

1

2

3