Cancer patients often experience a sore mouth or throat during treatment, notes the American Cancer Society. Thus food intake typically is reduced because it is painful to swallow food. It helps to prepare soft, high-calorie foods to ensure that the food can be swallowed. Some cancer patients find it helpful to eat the largest meal for breakfast when their hunger level is the highest, notes the Women's Cancer Network.
Frozen Fruit Pops & Italian Ice
Frozen fruit pops are usually easy to eat during cancer treatment, notes the American Cancer Society. Italian fruit ices are also a good idea for when a throat is very irritated. The cool temperature and mostly liquid nature of these foods helps ensure they will not further irritate the throat.
Pudding
Pudding is another high-calorie food that is easy to eat during cancer treatment, notes the Women's Cancer Network. Dabbing a bit of honey or soft peanut butter on top of the pudding will increase the calories. Blending honeydew to very fine puree and placing it on the pudding adds some extra taste and calories to this food.
Soups, Casseroles & Mashed Potatoes
Cream soups and casseroles served warm, but not too hot, are good, high-calorie foods for cancer patients who are struggling to eat foods, notes the American Cancer Society. Mashed potatoes made with milk and butter are also easy to eat. Place melted butter on top of the mashed potatoes to increase the calorie count of the food.
Pureed Corn
Corn is a calorie-intense food, notes the US National Library of Medicine. Using corn in dishes like creamed corn or adding finely blended corn to a warm soup will provide nutrition for a cancer patient. Puree the corn so it slides down the throat easily.
Ice Cream & Milkshakes
Ice cream is a high-calorie and easy-to-eat food for cancer patients, notes the American Cancer Society. Making a milkshake from ice cream is another food idea for cancer patients. Drinking a milkshake with a straw helps the beverage move to the throat easily without causing irritation in the mouth.
Honey, Jam or Eggs with Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese with a spread of jam or honey mixed in it is a high-calorie food that is easy to eat, even with an irritated mouth, notes Women's Cancer Network. The cottage cheese provides protein to the diet. Top the cottage cheese with a finely diced hard-boiled egg to add more calories and protein to the meal.
Canned Food Replacement Drinks
Canned food supplement drinks provides protein and high calories to a cancer patient during treatment, reports the American Cancer Society. The supplement drink slides down the throat easily and usually does not further irritate mouth sores. Food supplement drinks are typically available in a range of flavors.
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