Importance of Good Nutrition During Cancer Treatment

Taking care of your nutrition becomes crucial when undergoing cancer treatment. While it can be challenging due to side effects and feeling unwell, it’s essential for maintaining strength, managing treatment effects, and promoting healing. Our cancer care team will work with you to create a personalized nutrition plan to help you feel better, stay energized, maintain weight, reduce side effects, lower infection risk, and aid in faster recovery.

When you have cancer, maintaining good nutrition is especially important as the illness and its treatment(s) can impact your eating habits and nutrient utilization. During treatment, your diet may need adjustments to support your strength and cope with the effects of cancer. This might involve consuming foods not typically recommended for a healthy diet, such as high-protein, high-calorie options to maintain weight or soothing foods like ice cream and milkshakes to ease mouth and throat sores. Our team takes into account your specific cancer type, treatment, and side effects to determine the most suitable nutrition approach for your body’s needs. We understand the challenges you face and are here to support you.

The nutrition needs of people with cancer vary from person to person. Your care team can help you identify your nutrition goals and plan ways to help you meet them. Eating well while you’re being treated might help you:

  • Feel better.
  • Keep up your strength and energy.
  • Maintain your weight and your body’s store of nutrients.
  • Better tolerate treatment-related side effects
  • Lower your risk of infection.
  • Heal and recover faster.

Additional Resources:

Nutrition for people with cancer (PDF)

Appetite Loss (PDF)

WIC-Women, Infants, Children – Supports the family. WIC | apply

SNAP (food stamps) –

Tackle Hunger – Multiple locations; ex. St. Paul’s, Utah Community Action Magna.

Food Pantries – Identifies food pantries & subsidized grocery locations.

Catholic Community Services – Numerous resources for food insecurity & SDOH.

Utah Food Bank – Links to other local food banks by zip code.

United Way – List of resources by county.