Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may negatively affect your experience of eating, causing certain foods to have an unappealing flavor or scent. High protein foods like red meat may leave a metallic taste in your mouth, while tasty treats like ice cream may begin to taste bitter. Unfortunately, along with these taste changes you may find your appetite decreasing.
This can lead to weight loss or malnutrition. It is important to maintain your health throughout the treatment process. If you are struggling with eating, let your care team know, so they can help you determine an effective diet. The good news is, taste changes typically resolve within 3 months after treatment ends! Everybody is different, but we hope some of these tips will work for you.
1. Think Outside of Your Food Box
This is a perfect opportunity to experiment with new foods and flavors. You can try adding different seasonings and sauces to your meals to improve the taste. Follow your gut. If a food unfamiliar to you smells or tastes good, then try it! In some cases, foods that you might normally dislike may be tolerable. And don’t feel like you have to force yourself to eat food that tastes unpleasant. Instead, see if you can find substitutes for those foods (i.e. Swap beef for tofu).
It might be a good idea to save your favorite foods for after your treatment, so that you do not develop an aversion to them.
2. Sample Bland Foods
Sticking to bland foods can be helpful, as they can taste similar to how they tasted prior to treatment, in many cases. Options include pasta, rice and bread. You may experience fewer adverse reactions to these foods, as they have neutral flavor profiles.
3. Eat Small, Frequent Meals
Eat when you are hungry! Have snacks on hand for when the mood strikes you. This way, you get nutrition steadily throughout the day. Also, small portions may be more palatable than one large meal. Better to stop and start again with snacking, than to struggle through a full meal if you are nauseous.
4. Try Tart Foods
If you are experiencing loss of taste, foods with tart flavors like lemon, citrus fruits, vinegar, and pickled foods may be appealing. However, avoid acidic foods if you have mouth sores.
5. Oral Hygiene
It can be helpful to rinse your mouth before meals to cleanse your palate. A saltwater rinse, brushing your teeth, or rinsing with seltzer can help reduce unpleasant tastes by clearing out baseline secretions (saliva).
6. Avoid Alcohol & Cigarettes
Alcohol and cigarettes normally distort taste, and can worsen flavors. Also, alcohol may leave a burning sensation in your mouth and throat during radiation. Altogether, it’s best to avoid drinking and smoking while undergoing treatment.
The best way to deal with chemo-related taste changes is to change your food intake. Eating a variety of foods, drinking plenty of water and practicing good oral hygiene will help you stay healthy while undergoing treatment for cancer or another illness. With these helpful tips, paired with our understanding of how chemotherapy can affect taste buds and salivary glands, we hope that managing these side effects will make it easier.
