Eating well helps your body get ready for treatment.
Food gives you energy, helps you stay strong through treatment, and helps you cope better with what is coming.
Good nutrition is an important part of prehab.
It will also help you recover after treatment.
Why eating well matters
Cancer and cancer treatment can make eating harder.
You may:
- Lose weight without trying
- Feel full quickly
- Not feel hungry
- Notice food tastes different
When your body does not get enough energy or protein, it can become weaker.
Eating well before and during treatment helps give your body the fuel it needs.
What are we trying to do?
With prehab nutrition, we want to help you:
- Stop unwanted weight loss (unless your cancer team tells you to lose weight)
- Keep your muscles strong
- Have enough energy
- Heal well and fight infection
What does eating well look like?
You may be encouraged to:
- Eat regular meals and snacks
- Choose protein foods (meat, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils)
- Choose energy‑rich foods (full‑fat milk, yoghurt, cheese, oils, nuts, spreads)
- Drink enough fluids
- Avoid fad diets or “anticancer diets” — they can limit important nutrients
Some people may also need nutritional drinks or supplements.
These can help if eating feels difficult.
If eating feels hard
Many people struggle to eat at times.
This might be because of:
- Feeling sick
- Feeling full quickly
- Changes in taste
- Tummy problems
- Pain either when eating or after
If you feel like this, speak to your cancer team for advice.
Small changes can help, such as:
- Eating little and often
- Adding extra energy to foods (“enriching” foods)
Helpful information
You may find these links useful:
- Macmillan – Healthy eating and cancer
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/healthy-eating-and-cancer - Macmillan – Building-up diet
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/building-up-diet - World Cancer Research Fund – Eat Well During Cancer
https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Eat-well-during-cancer.pdf
