Chemotherapy treatment can be hard on your body. There are many side effects to treatment, some of which can be combatted with the proper diet. Supporting your nutrition throughout chemo treatment is important, but what types of foods should you eat to do so?

When undergoing chemotherapy treatment, cancer patients should eat foods high in protein, calories, and fats. Protein helps to maintain muscle mass. Energy-dense calories help chemo patients gain weight. An increased intake of healthy fats can protect your heart and promote overall wellness throughout the body. You can also try drinking meal replacement shakes to boost your nutritional intake. A healthy diet doesn’t increase the efficacy of chemotherapy treatment, but it can make receiving it easier.

At ENU, we care about offering products to support health during chemotherapy treatment. Our shakes contain a well-balanced blend of protein, fats, calories, and other important nutrients. To purchase ENU Nutritional Shakes for cancer patients, visit our website today.

What Foods Should I Eat During Chemotherapy Treatment?

Keeping your body nourished while receiving chemotherapy treatment is of the utmost importance. As your body fights against cancer, it requires added nutrients to maintain health as much as possible. During chemo treatment, cancer patients need to eat foods high in protein, calories, and fats. Eating the right foods during this time may lessen the side effects of chemotherapy and might make you feel better.

High-Protein Foods

High-protein foods are necessary during chemotherapy treatment. A side effect of chemo is fatigue, which can cause patients to be sedentary. As a result, chemo patients can experience a significant loss of muscle mass. Protein can feed your muscles and help you maintain muscle mass while receiving chemo treatment. High-protein foods, like eggs or meal replacement shakes, are among the easiest foods to eat during treatment.

For example, ENU Nutritional Shakes for cancer patients have 20 grams of whey protein per serving. As opposed to other protein substances, whey is easiest to digest, which makes it appealing to cancer patients who may experience nausea due to chemo. Whey also has the highest leucine content, at 10%. Leucine boosts muscle growth, making it an important component of an cancer patient’s diet.

High-Calorie Foods

Unintentional weight loss is very common when receiving chemotherapy. Chemo affects many bodily processes, but the extreme nausea it causes can make eating or drinking very difficult. Because of this, patients can lose significant weight during treatment. That makes it doubly important to eat high-calorie foods. Unfortunately, constant nausea and cancer patients may experience can make that feel impossible. Instead of three large meals each day, periodically eating smaller snacks can help you get the calories you need without upsetting your stomach.

That being said, those receiving chemo treatment may require substantially more calories than the average person. Eating high-calorie foods like peanut butter or oatmeal can help chemotherapy patients get the calories they need. Alternatively, you can drink meal replacement shakes, like ENU Nutritional Shakes for cancer patients. These shakes can be easier to stomach than solid foods when you need some extra calories. For example, ENU Nutritional Shakes have 400 calories in each 8.5-ounce serving and four extra grams of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs, promote quick and easy digestion, allowing your body to absorb nutrients faster without triggering nausea.

High-Fat Foods

Eating foods high in healthy fats can promote important bodily processes during chemo treatment. Cancer can be debilitating, and the treatment is no different. As your body fights against cancer, certain processes can fall to the wayside in a sense. A side effect of chemo is a loss of energy. Eating heart-healthy fats can boost your energy stores and promote wellness.

You can get healthy fats from a variety of sources, from nuts to avocados. Chemo patients can monitor their fat intake with protein shakes for cancer patients. Each shake contains 16 grams of fat, which can protect your heart and promote the absorption of important vitamins.

How Can I Eat the Right Foods During Chemotherapy Treatment?

It isn’t always easy to eat enough food during chemo treatment. Among the many side effects of chemo, nausea can prevent patients from getting the nutrients they need. Taste fatigue is common among oncology patients, which can also substantially reduce one’s appetite. When chemotherapy causes intense nausea and difficulty eating solid foods, try drinking nutritious meal replacement shakes instead.

On the days that you receive chemo, it’s necessary to eat a blend of important nutrients. Before treatment and especially after, you might feel unable to eat solid foods. In that case, drinking a meal replacement shake, like ENU Nutritional Shakes for cancer patients, can help. Remember, our shakes are made with 100% hydrolyzed whey protein and contain an added four grams of MCTs. This makes them easy to digest without inducing nausea. It’s important to choose a healthy shake with the right balance of protein, calories, and fats. Shakes fortified with additional nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, are ideal during chemotherapy treatment.

Stay away from meal replacement shakes or foods that lack sufficient nutrients and contain added sugars. During chemo treatment, your body deserves the best ingredients possible. Because it can be difficult for cancer patients to eat solid foods, a healthy meal replacement shake might be the answer to getting the nutrients they need.

For example, each ENU Nutritional Shake is conveniently sized, at only 8.5 fluid ounces, yet contains the right blend of nutrients to promote health during chemotherapy treatment. Each shake has 400 calories and 24 added vitamins and minerals to support the immune system. A healthy meal replacement shake can offer the fats, protein, and calories you need during chemo treatment.

Drink ENU Nutritional Shakes During Chemotherapy Treatment

Eating the right foods and drinking healthy meal replacement shakes during chemotherapy treatment can be helpful to cancer patients. Visit our website to purchase ENU Nutritional Shakes for cancer patients today.