Diet problems with cancer

Why diet is important

Eating a healthy balanced diet can help you cope with cancer and treatment. It can also help you cope with life after cancer treatment has finished.

A healthy diet is also an important part of getting ready for cancer treatment. This preparation is called prehabilitation. Prehabilitation includes a focus on what you eat, your weight, physical activity and mental health.

Find out about prehabilitation

How eating well helps

Eating and drinking a balanced diet is important when you have cancer. It can help you feel better. You may have more energy and it could help you cope better with your cancer and treatment side effects.

Having a healthy balanced diet can also:

help with wound healing, for example after surgery
help our immune system to work well and cope better with infection
reduce the risk of other conditions such as heart disease or diabetes

A balanced diet means eating foods from all the food groups that your body needs. But for many people with cancer, eating and drinking well can be a struggle.

Your healthcare team can discuss ways to support you with eating and drinking. And there are things you can do to help yourself.

Managing diet problems in cancer

A balanced diet

Try to eat foods from all food groups to include everything your body needs to work well. These include:

fruit and vegetables
starchy carbohydrates such as potatoes, bread, rice and pasta
dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese or dairy alternatives that have added calcium
proteins like beans, pulses, fish, eggs and meat
fats like oil and spreads

Drink 6 to 8 glasses each day. For example water, sugar free drinks, milk, tea and coffee.

Read more about a healthy diet

The diagrams below show how much of each food group you should eat each day to follow a healthy, balanced diet. They are also called Eatwell Guides. This is general information about a varied diet and recommended portions. If you have problems that are affecting your diet, your healthcare team may suggest that you change the amounts you eat from each group.

Diagram showing African and Caribbean Eatwell Guide.

Diagram showing South Asian Eatwell Guide.

The NHS have produced a booklet called ‘Healthier Eating; African, Caribbean and South Asian cuisine’ as part of a Diabetes Prevention Programme. This information can be used by anyone try to follow a healthy diet.

For general information and support contact the Cancer Research UK nurses on freephone 0808 800 4040 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Last reviewed: 25 Mar 2024

Next review due: 25 Mar 2027

How cancer causes diet problems

Cancer can cause changes to your body, making it hard to eat or digest food and use its nutrients.

Types of diet problems

The side effects of cancer and its treatments might cause problems with your eating, digestion and weight.

Managing diet problems in cancer

Medicines, soft diets, adding calories to your diet or tube feeding are some of the ways to manage diet problems.

Your feelings about diet problems

Having diet problems when you have cancer can affect you emotionally. But there are things you can do to help you cope.

Resources and support for diet problems

There are lots of organisations, support groups and helpful books to help you cope with diet problems caused by cancer and its treatment.

Diet problems main page

Cancer and its treatment can cause eating and drinking difficulties in some people. But there are people that can help and things you can do to cope better.