Nutrition

Eating Well in Cancer Care

Good nutrition for cancer patients is a vital part of the treatment journey. Eating the right kinds of foods before, during and after treatment can help patients feel better and stay stronger. To ensure proper nutrition, a person has to eat and drink enough of the foods that contain key nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals and water.

A practical way to help someone with cancer is through thoughtful meal planning for cancer patients is about making safe, suitable choices from each food group. The table below provides general guidelines on food choices that may help you in planning your meals during cancer treatment. It is designed to help you identify nutrient-rich foods to encourage, while also highlighting items that are not recommended due to a higher risk of foodborne illness or other concerns.

Note:
The following are general recommendations. Individuals receiving chemotherapy or those with weakened immune systems should take extra precautions. It is important to seek guidance from your doctor or a dietitian for advice suited to your personal health needs.

To Be Encouraged – may be consumed daily
Not Recommended – should not be included in meal plan during cancer treatment due to risk of food contamination and/or known carcinogen

Food Group	To Be Encouraged	Not Recommended
Milk and Dairy Products	Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, milkshakes, flavoured milk, yogurt drink, cultured milk. Milk alternative e.g. oats milk, rice milk, nut milk, etc.	Unpasteurized raw milk. Cheese containing uncooked vegetables and spices, such as chilli peppers, "Mouldy" and soft cheeses, such as blue cheese, Roquefort, Stilton, brie, feta, or farmer's cheese.
Egg	Whole eggs – boiled, scrambled, omelette, steamed eggs.	Raw egg, soft runny eggs, poached eggs, and sunny side up. Salted eggs and century eggs.
Meat and Poultry	Chicken, turkey, lean meat.	Raw or undercooked meat, poultry. Processed meats e.g. ham, bacon, sausages, luncheon meat, canned meat. Salt-cured, smoked and charcoal broiled meats.
Fish and Shellfish	All type of fishes, fresh water, and deep-sea water fishes. Prawns, shrimps, crabs, lobsters, squid.	Raw fish (sashimi), raw seafood and raw shellfish, half cooked oyster, clams. Salted, smoked or pickled.
Fruits	Most type of fresh fruits e.g. cantaloupe, mangos, papaya and guava, grapes, apricot, peaches, orange, kiwi, banana, etc. Dried fruits.	Unwashed fruit. Cut fruit and fresh fruit juices when eating out. Preserved fruits.
Vegetables	Fresh or frozen vegetables. Dark green vegetables e.g. spinach, asparagus, green peppers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, watercress, other greens. Root vegetables e.g. potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrot, turnip, tapioca. Variety of dark orange, red, yellow vegetables.	Raw vegetables, uncooked sprouts (alfalfa, mung bean, others). Salads from salad bar or deli or when eating out.
Cereal Foods and Grains	Whole grains, wheat, wheat germ, brown rice, oatmeal, whole grains bread, wholemeal pasta, barley. White bread, white flour, pasta, polished rice.
Beans, legumes, Nuts and Seeds	Soya bean and its products, kidney beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils, etc. Nuts e.g. almond, walnut, cashew, pecan, etc. Seeds e.g. sunflower, sesame, etc. Nut butter, peanut butter, cashew spread	Unroasted or uncooked, raw nuts and seeds.
Fats, oil and dressings	Mono-unsaturated fats (in canola and olive oil, olives, avocados). Polyunsaturated fats (in soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, etc). Oil based and vinegar dressing, low fat salad dressing.	Saturated fats such as ghee, lard. Trans fat and partially hydrogenated oils, cottonseed oils, palm kernel. Fresh, prepared salads and salad dressings that is stored in the deli counter.
Beverages	Water, clear soup, homemade barley drink, chrysanthemum tea, electrolyte drink. Nutritionally complete supplements (if necessary) such as Ensure, Resource, Enercal Plus. Tea, coffee, malted drinks.	Unpasteurized fruit and vegetable juices, Sun-tea or other "cold brewed" teas and drinks, Uncooked brewer’s yeast, alcohol.
Sweet Preserves and Spreads	Naturally sweetened. Sugars and sucrose sweetened.	Artificial sweetener, sweetened with sorbitol, xylitol.
Herb and Spices	All type, added into cooking.
Sauces, marinades, condiments	Barbecue sauce, ketchup, meat marinades, mustards, soy sauce, chili sauce, Tabasco sauce spices and herbs, teriyaki sauce, vinegar, wine, etc.