Helping Your Child Eat During Cancer Treatment
By The Austin Hatcher Foundation
Helping Your Child Eat During Cancer Treatment
Helping Your Child Eat During Treatment
Cancer treatment can alter a child’s food preferences and appetite. A pediatric clinical dietitian nutritionist can help you plan your child’s diet.
Side effects and symptoms of cancer treatment
- Appetite loss
- Sore mouth or throat
- Taste changes
- Dry mouth
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Dental problems
- Weight gain or loss
How to manage symptoms that affect eating during treatment
- Let your child eat whenever they’re hungry
- Consider giving your child smaller, more frequent meals – maybe more than three a day.
- Limit the amount your child drinks at mealtimes
- Avoid giving your child too many liquids during meals as they can make them feel too full for solid foods.
- Make mealtimes fun
- Experiment with mealtime changes. Consider altering when and where meals happen to find what works best
Things to avoid: Encourage your child to eat without resorting to force. Avoid using threats, nagging, or punishment if they cannot consume enough food.
Quick and easy snack ideas
- Yogurt & fruit shakes
- Plain/buttered popcorn
- Fresh, washed vegetables with dips
- Chicken/fish spreads on
- crackers/breads.
- Pretzels, chips, or crackers.
- Fresh, canned, or dried fruit chunks
- dipped in yogurt, nut butter, or
- marshmallow fluff
- Cheese cubes with crackers or fruit.
For more information email Info@hatcherfoundation.org
Reference: https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/helping-your-child-eat-during-treatment
