While holidays are a joyful time for many, for lung cancer patients who are undergoing or have recently completed treatment, the holidays can often be more of a challenging time.
We’ve gathered some tips and a recipe to help make the most of the holiday season by helping find things that are not only tolerable, but also enjoyable and full of good nutrition.
Here are some helpful tips to work through common nutrition related concerns during the holidays.
- Plan ahead. Bring foods that you know you can tolerate or communicate your dietary needs to friends and family ahead of time so that they can have foods available that will work for you.
- Learn how to manage when you’re not feeling hungry but need to eat. Adding extra sauces, dressings, nuts, oils, or avocado to your holiday meals can help add extra calories. Remember, there’s no need for a large full meal if you don’t feel up to it. Try having a little bit of food, such as an appetizer-sized portion, instead of feeling overwhelmed by a large meal.
- Learn to manage digestive concerns. Eating and drinking small amounts at a time can be helpful. This strategy may help you to be able to enjoy more of your favorite holiday foods and snacks. Avoid going long periods of time without eating, which can worsen digestive issues like nausea and diarrhea. Choosing more bland foods without strong spices and acids to help reduce the frequency of GI discomfort. In addition, beans, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, string beans are gas-producing foods that may cause digestive discomfort or pain.
- Help improve the flavor of food that doesn’t taste the same. A homemade mouth rinse of baking soda and water can help keep your mouth fresh to avoid taste changes. In addition, using plasticware instead of metal silverware can help against the metal aftertaste left in foods.
- Aim to add some healthy plant foods to your holiday recipes. Include colorful fall fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, cranberries, beets, squash (zucchini, butternut, yellow squash, pumpkin, acorn, etc), carrots, and artichokes. These foods have a wealth of plant nutrients to offer and will add beautiful color to your holiday table. Check out our delicious chestnut recipe to try; it will bring you the fall flavors you love along with valuable nutrients.
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Happy Holidays!
Related Reading:
- An interview with one of the creators of Ina®, your personal, “Intelligent Nutrition Assistant"
- Dealing with Taste Changes During Lung Cancer Treatment
- Healthy Snack Ideas for Lung Cancer Patients
Savor Health is a provider of personalized nutrition solutions designed exclusively for cancer patients based on evidence-based science and clinical best practices and provided by a team of oncology-credentialed registered dietitians.
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