• Eat a wide variety of foods. See a dietitian for advice tailored to you.
• Plan ahead for when you feel too tired to cook. Buy frozen meals from the supermarket or prepare food in advance and store it in the freezer.
• Cook in the morning when you are less likely to be tired. 
• Buy groceries online instead of going to the shops.
• Ask for and accept offers of help with shopping and cooking from others.
• Use apps such as Gather My Crew to coordinate offers of help.
• Keep some snacks such as muesli bars, dried fruit, nuts and wholegrain crackers in handy locations (e.g. in your bag or car). This will allow you to keep your energy levels up if you have unexpected delays.
• See recipes and snack ideas.
• Use home delivery meal companies or services that bring pre-prepared food to you. Or try companies that deliver ingredients with recipes that you can cook at home yourself.
• Do regular exercise to help improve fatigue and appetite.
• Eat with others to make meals as enjoyable as possible, particularly if you are feeling too tired to eat.
• Listen to our podcast episode on cancer fatigue and see our Fatigue and Cancer web page.

• Eat small meals every 2–3 hours during the day, and keep to a regular eating pattern rather than waiting until you’re hungry.
• Follow your appetite. It’s okay to eat what you feel like, when you feel like it, (e.g. have cereal for dinner or a main meal at lunchtime). Putting on or maintaining your weight is the main focus at the moment.
• Exercise before a meal. Gentle physical activity can make you feel hungry, (e.g. take a short walk around the block).
• Use a smaller plate. A big plate of food can be overwhelming.
• Add extra energy to your food with butter, cream, cheese and sour cream.
• Choose fluids that are high in kilojoules and protein, such as milk, milkshakes, smoothies or creamy soup. These may be easier to manage than a meal.
• Make mealtimes more enjoyable by setting the table, playing music or eating with someone.
• Manage side effects that may be affecting your appetite – see below for tips on coping with loss of smell and taste, dry mouth, mouth sores, nausea and vomiting, and fatigue.

• Avoid large meals – try to eat three small meals and three snacks throughout the day.
• Eat slowly and enjoy your meal. Avoid wearing tight clothing (especially belts) while eating.
• Sip fluids between meals, rather than drinking large amounts at mealtimes.
• Limit or avoid foods that may make heartburn worse – very spicy foods, high-fat foods (e.g. fried food, pastries, cream), acidic foods including tomato and tomato products, citrus fruits, vinegar, chocolate, coffee (including decaf), strong tea, soft drinks and alcohol.
• After eating, sit upright for at least 30 minutes and avoid lying down or activities that involve bending over (including gardening).
• Sleep with the head of the bed lifted by 15–20 cm. Put blocks under the front bed legs or use a wedge under the mattress.

• Add extra flavour to meals (e.g. fresh herbs, spices, lemon, lime, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey, chilli, pepper, Worcestershire sauce or pickles).
• Keep trying different foods, as your tastes may change. You may not like bitter drinks (e.g. tea, coffee, beer, wine) or sweet foods (e.g. chocolate), even if you liked them before treatment. It is common to prefer savoury foods after treatment.
• If meat tastes unpleasant during treatment, replace it with other protein sources (e.g. cheese, eggs, nuts, dairy foods, seafood, baked beans, lentils, chickpeas).
• Add a little sugar to food if it tastes bitter or salty.
• Serve food hot or warm.
• Use bamboo cutlery if metal spoons, forks and knives taste metallic.
• Drink through a paper or silicone straw so the taste isn’t as strong. Metal straws may add a metallic taste.

• Eat cold food or food at room temperature – hot food smells stronger.
• Consider not eating your favourite foods when having chemotherapy. Some people find afterwards that they cannot tolerate the smell of foods associated with their treatment.
• Avoid using large amounts of strong-smelling ingredients (e.g. garlic, onion, spices).
• If cooking smells bother you, ask others to cook, then stay out of the kitchen when food is being prepared.
• Turn on the exhaust fan, open a window and cover pots with lids to help reduce cooking smells, or cook outside on the barbecue.
• Avoid eating in stuffy or overly warm rooms. Have meals outside.
• Take good care of your mouth (see the next page), as a bad or bitter taste in the mouth can make things smell unpleasant.

People with dentures who lose weight may find their teeth become loose. Treatment for head and neck cancer sometimes involves removing teeth. Both of these things can make it hard to chew.

If you’re having difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), you may need to change the consistency of food by chopping, mincing, pureeing or thickening it.

Signs that the texture of food is causing problems include:

• taking longer to chew and swallow
• coughing or choking while eating or drinking
• feeling like food or drink is going down the wrong way
• food sticking in your mouth or throat like a ball
• throat clearing after meals.

A speech pathologist can assess how your swallowing is working and a dietitian can suggest ways to make sure you are getting enough nutritious food.

Severe swallowing problems can make it hard to eat and drink. You may need a feeding tube until swallowing gets easier. This will help you meet your nutrition needs.

A feeding tube is rare for most people with cancer, but is more of a possibility with cancers affecting the head and neck, stomach, oesophagus or lung. If a feeding tube is required, your treatment team will discuss this with you. 

• Have a light snack before chemotherapy, and don’t eat for a few hours after.
• Eat small meals every 2–3 hours. Going without food for long periods can make nausea worse.
• Choose dry or bland snacks, including crackers, toast, dry cereals, bread sticks or pretzels.
• Have cold foods or foods at room temperature as they have less aroma.
• Drink fluids all day to avoid becoming dehydrated.
• Try drinks and foods with ginger, including ginger tea, non-alcoholic ginger beer, ginger biscuits.
• Avoid foods that are too sweet, fatty, fried or spicy, or that have strong smells.
• Brush teeth regularly to help reduce tastes that may make you feel nauseated.
• Don’t eat your favourite food when feeling nauseated as you may develop a permanent dislike. 

• Take sips of fluids as often as possible. Try flat dry ginger ale, cold flat lemonade, weak cordial, or cold apple juice. Oral rehydration solutions, such as Hydralyte or Gastrolyte, can help keep you hydrated.
• See your doctor if vomiting lasts for more than a day or if you can’t keep fluids down, as you may become dehydrated.
• Slowly introduce more nourishing fluids once you stop vomiting, including cold or iced drinks, milk or fruit drinks with added water so they are not too strong, clear broth and weak tea.
• Have small amounts of solid foods once vomiting is under control, including plain dry biscuits, toast or bread, stewed fruits and yoghurt.
• Increase how much you eat until you’re eating what is normal for you.
• Listen to The Thing About Cancer podcast episode on appetite loss and nausea  for support.

• Drink 8–10 glasses of fluid a day, including water, herbal tea, milk-based drinks, soup, prune juice, to soften faeces.
• Eat foods high in insoluble fibre. Try wholegrain breads, cereals or pasta; raw and unpeeled fruits and vegetables; nuts and seeds; legumes and pulses.
• If you add foods with more insoluble fibre to your diet, drink more fluids to avoid the extra fibre making constipation worse. 
• Ask your doctor about using a laxative, stool softener and/or fibre supplement.
• Plan to do some physical activity every day. Ask your doctor, exercise physiologist or physiotherapist about the amount and type of exercise that is right for you.
• Visit your doctor if you see blood in your faeces. They’ll check for haemorrhoids or any other issues.
• If you have had surgery for bowel cancer and have a stoma, ask your health care team for specific dietary advice. They may suggest eating more low-fibre foods to avoid constipation.

• Drink plenty of water and other fluids such as diluted cordials and oral rehydration solutions (e.g. Gastrolyte) to prevent dehydration. Avoid high-sugar drinks, alcohol, strong caffeine or very hot fluids.
• Watch for signs of dehydration such as dark yellow urine (pee) or urinating less than usual.
• Choose foods that are low in insoluble fibre (e.g. bananas, mashed potato, white rice, white pasta, white bread, steamed chicken without skin, white fish). It may also help to eat foods that are high in soluble fibre (e.g. oats, barley, rye, legumes, peeled fruits and vegetables, avocado, soy products).
• Avoid foods that are high in insoluble fibre (e.g. wholegrain breads, bran cereals, nuts and seeds, raw fruit, vegetable skins) and foods that increase bowel activity (e.g. spicy, fatty or oily foods, caffeine, alcohol or artificial sweeteners).
• Switch to soy milk or lactose-free milk for a period of time. Having diarrhoea may affect your ability to digest the natural sugar in milk (lactose).

• Eat and drink slowly, take small mouthfuls and chew your food well to avoid swallowing air.
• Have foods low in insoluble fibre to reduce bowel irritation in the short term. Include foods high in soluble fibre to 'soak up' additional liquid in your bowel.
• Avoid fatty, spicy or fried foods, and rich gravies and sauces.
• Reduce foods such as corn, beans, cabbage, onions, pickles and fizzy drinks, which can produce wind.
• Drink plenty of water, and eat soft or cooked peeled fruit, fine wholemeal bread and bran to provide soft bulk. You may be encouraged to take an oral rehydration solution, such as Hydralyte or Gastrolyte, to keep hydrated.
• Do some gentle exercise, such as walking, to encourage more regular bowel movements.
• Tell your doctor if symptoms don’t improve. Bowel irritation is usually temporary, with colitis and proctitis lasting up to eight weeks and enteritis lasting 1–2 weeks after treatment ends.