Diet tips for pancreatic cancer

If you are having difficulty eating or maintaining your weight the key is to eat little and often. Small, nutritious snacks are often easier to manage than a large meal and small portions can be more inviting.

Below are diet tips for different diet related symptoms that you may experience as a result of pancreatic cancer or treatment:

Tips for a small appetite

  • Try to eat 3 small meals and 3 snacks a day.
  • Use at least one pint of full cream milk each day.
  • Have 6-8 cups of fluid each day (including tea, coffee, fruit juice, squash, soup and milky drinks).
  • Have a pudding once or twice a day e.g. yoghurt, trifle, ice cream, cake, sponge pudding , fruit pie, ready prepared desserts.
  • Enrich your food to increase calories:
  • -  To make enriched milk add 2-4 tablespoons of milk powder to a pint of   full cream milk. You can then use this in place of ordinary milk to make tea, coffee, packet soups, sauces, puddings or on breakfast cereal.
  • -  To soup add grated cheese, cream, dried milk powder or pasta
  • -  To milk based sauces add cream, evaporated milk or cheese
  • -   To puddings add cream, custard, evaporated/condensed milk, ice cream, honey, dried fruit
  • - To potatoes and vegetables add grated cheese, cream, margarine/butter, salad cream.
  • Cakes, pastries, biscuits, chocolate and crisps can provide extra energy when eaten with meals or as a snack.
  • Snacks can include toasted crumpets/teacakes, yoghurt fruit, fruit cake and malt loaf.
  • Have some between meal drinks such as malted drinks, drinking chocolate, instant soup, Bovril, Marmite, milk shakes or fruit smoothies.
  • If you are finding cooking difficult or tiring you can use convenience foods / microwave meals / take away meals / tinned or frozen meals.

Tips for coping with nausea and vomiting

  • Have small frequent meals.
  • Nausea is often worse when there is nothing to line the stomach, even eating a little dry toast may help.
  • Try eating plain foods e.g. toast, bread and biscuits.
  • Avoid strong smelling foods.
  • Try eating cold foods which have less smell than cooked food.
  • Try sipping cold fizzy drinks between meals -  it may help to let them go flat.
  • Avoid fried or greasy food.
  • Try salty foods e.g crisps and salted nuts.
  • Try food or drink containing ginger e.g. ginger ale, ginger biscuits.
  • Eat meals slowly and sit upright for an hour after meals.
  • Remember to have fluids to avoid dehydration.
  • The thought of food or the smell of food cooking can add to nausea. If this is the case try using ready meals or order food in.
  • Lavender can help, try a few drops on a pillow.             

There are also several anti-sickness medications available on the market, ask your health care team about these. If one type of medication does not work it can help to try a different type or a combination of drugs. These medicines may also be given via a continuous pump through a small needle into your fatty layer under the skin.

Tips for coping with a dry mouth

  • Sip drinks frequently.
  • Suck ice cubes or ice lollies.
  • Suck pastilles or boiled sweets.
  • Suck a small piece of an effervescent Vitamin C tablet to stimulate saliva (tastes similar to sherbet).
  • Try to make your food moist with sauces or gravy.
  • Chewing can stimulate saliva so try sugar free chewing gum.
  • Use mouthwashes regularly.
  • Use lip balm to soothe dry lips.

There are also some prescription products available to help with a dry mouth such as artificial saliva sprays (e.g. Saliva Orthana or Glandosane sprays),  saliva stimulating tablets and the Biotene range of products (toothpaste, mouthwash, gel).

 

Tips for coping with diarrhoea

  • Avoid eating high fibre foods e.g. beans, wholemeal and brown flours, wholemeal bread or pasta, high fibre cereals and dried fruits.
  • Drink plenty of fluids to replace fluid lost with diarrhoea.
  • It can help to avoid highly spiced foods, alcohol and strong tea and coffee.
  • Have small frequent meals.

 

Tips for coping with taste changes

  • Common food and drink to be affected by taste changes are tea, citrus fruit, chocolate and red meat.
  • Try to eat foods that taste good, if there are any.
  • Leave out foods that do not taste good, but try them again every few weeks as your taste may change again.
  • If you cannot eat red meat try eating chicken, turkey, fish, eggs or cheese as other good types of protein
  • Season your food using mustard, herbs, pepper, spices or lemon juice. However do not do this if you have a sore mouth.
  • Maintaining good oral hygiene is important. Clean your teeth after meals and snacks and use any mouthwashes prescribed regularly. Cleaning your teeth before eating may also help.

 



Related links