Indian Diet Plan for Chemotherapy Patients ( Chemo Diet Chart PDF )

We all are aware of the fact that “Food is thy medicine”. You are what you eat. Eating healthy and clean helps you fight diseases. Right diet not only keeps the disease away, but also helps in faster recovery. Indian diet plan for chemotherapy patients ( Chemo diet chart ).

Cancer is one such disease where food is very important throughout its journey. Chemotherapy is one of the treatments used for cancer. Chemotherapy is a drug that kills the fast multiplying cancer cells in the body to avoid further damage to the body. It is either used alone or in combination with other treatments to treat cancer. Chemotherapy sometimes also kills healthy cells along with the cancer cells. This takes a toll on the body’s functions. Chemotherapy is accompanied by dry mouth, alterations in taste, nausea, fatigue, low appetite, ulcers in the mouth as well as hyperacidity.

It is important to eat a healthy diet during the treatment to keep up the optimum body function. The main aim of Indian diet plan for chemotherapy patients ( Chemo diet chart ) is to provide adequate nutrition along with overcoming the side effects. Follow the below-given tips and also the diet post chemotherapy, before chemotherapy as well as on the day of therapy. It will help minimize the side effects and also lead to a faster recovery.

Table of Contents

Indian Diet Plan for Chemotherapy Patients ( Chemo Diet Chart )

Aim of the Chemo Diet Chart:

Maintain the body’s nutrient stores as well as avoid any nutrient deficiency
Stay energetic
Lower their risk of infection
Recover fast
Manage treatment-related side effects

Tips to Follow on Chemotherapy Day :

Do not skip any meal
Eat light meals
Keep yourself hydrated
Eat foods that are light on the tummy
Avoid fried, creamy as well as heavy foods
Eat small frequent meals to avoid nausea and vomiting
Avoid acidic foods

Foods that you can Consume During Chemotherapy Session :

Curd or buttermilk
Fresh fruit juices
Munch on healthy snacks like nuts or fruits
Eat dry carbs like crackers or khakras to avoid nausea

Tips to Eat After Chemotherapy till the next Session:

Eat calorie dense small meals frequently
Consume bland foods to relieve the mouth blisters
Eat alkaline foods that will treat nausea
Sip on liquids frequently to remove toxins from the body
Try different recipes to avoid food aversion
Do not consume any empty calories like aerated beverages, sugary foods or fried foods
Add nutritive values to recipes by adding seeds, nuts, paneer or eggs

Post chemotherapy Diet nutrition:

The caloric requirement is very high post-chemotherapy. But the appetite is reduced and there is food aversion. The patient might also feel nauseated. Try and consume foods that are calorie-dense, high in protein, moderate in fats, easy to digest as well as palatable. Let us take a look at the basic nutrition of Indian diet plan for chemotherapy patients ( Chemo diet chart ).

Energy:

Your energy requirements increase during the treatment. You need at least a 2000 – 2500 kcal diet to provide adequate nutrition as well as avoid any nutrient deficiency. Frequent calorie-dense meals will fulfil the extra caloric requirement.

Carbohydrates:

A moderate carbohydrate diet will help to provide energy to the body. It will help to maintain stamina, body strength and muscle integrity. Complex carbohydrates will help maintain blood sugars and ensure the continuous supply of glucose to the body for energy. Include whole wheat, rice, millets, quinoa as well as oats in your recipes.

Proteins:

Team up the carbohydrates with high proteins to provide adequate nutrition. High proteins help to rebuild the strength, repair the damaged cells, prevent muscle wasting and provide energy. Add milk as well as its products, beans, pulses, sprouts, egg, well cooked fish and chicken as per the taste.

Fats:

Chemotherapy leads to lots of inflammation in the body. Add omega 3 to your daily diet to provide healthy fat as well as an anti-inflammatory effect. It also helps to replace the fats that are broken down by body to provide energy. Include nuts, flaxseeds, fish, chia seeds and also eggs to provide omega 3. Keep fat intake moderate to make the food palatable. 30 – 40 gms of visible fat is enough to fulfil the requirement.

Milk and products:

Milk provides proteins, B complex vitamins, fats and calcium. It is a calorie dense liquid that can replace plain water or any zero-calorie food. Curd provides probiotics that will maintain gut health and prevent nutrient loss during diarrhoea episodes. Paneer can be added to any recipe to increase its nutritive value and palatability. Whey protein not only helps to meet the protein requirement, but also increase the nutritive value of food. Whey supplement can be added if there is an additional requirement of proteins.

Fruits and vegetables:

Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, fiber as well as other essential nutrients. Consume fruits in between meals to get maximum benefit. Add in curd or smoothies to make the recipe calorie-dense and palatable. Add vegetables in all the recipes wherever possible to provide adequate vitamins as well as minerals. These will help in faster recovery.

Poultry and fish:

With chemotherapy, there is high protein requirement that can be fulfilled with poultry as well as fish. It will provide iron, calcium, omega 3 as well as vitamin D along with good quality first-class proteins. Avoid red meat and it can trigger cancer cell activity and worsen the condition.

Additional foods that will help throughout chemotherapy:
- Turmeric: It helps to heal better
- Wheatgrass powder: It not only provides all the micronutrients but also helps in remission of cancer cells
- Barleygrass powder: It is high in micronutrients as well as has anti-cancer properties

Foods to Avoid During Chemotherapy:

High fat as well as spicy foods
Raw uncooked animal proteins
Spoilt as well as stale food
Leftovers of more than a day
Allergy as well as gas-causing foods
Hyper-acidic foods

Indian Diet Plan for Chemotherapy Patients ( Chemo Diet Chart )

Here is a sample of Indian diet plan for chemotherapy patients ( Chemo diet chart ).

Sample diet plan:

Empty stomach: 1 cup warm water with 1 teaspoon wheat or barley grass powder OR Wheat grass juice + 10 soaked almonds and 2 soaked walnuts

Breakfast: 1 glass oats smoothie with mango and chia seeds or 1 cup oats porridge with soaked nuts

OR Daliya vegetable upama with 1 tsp ghee

Mid-morning: 1 fruit (medium size) + 40 gms jeera OR 100-150 gms masala paneer or boiled egg (After half to 1 hour)

Lunch: 1 cup vegetable soup + 2 Missi roti or 1 cup vegetable Pulao or paneer Pulao + 1 cup vegetable + 1 cup dal or kadhi + 1 cup curd

Mid-afternoon: 1 cup Masala dryfruit milk + 1 Khakra or 1 cup kurmura or Chivda

Snack: 4 – 5 pcs Moong dal Dhokla OR 1 moong dal chilla with vegetables OR 2 small Potato crispy with paneer with green chutney OR tomato chutney

Dinner: 1 cup boiled vegetables in white sauce + 1 cup vegetable daliya OR khichdi OR oats + 1 cup sprouts + 1 cup curd

Bedtime: 1 cup turmeric milk with 1 tablespoon protein powder/ supplement or sattu

Download the Indian diet plan for chemotherapy patients ( Chemo diet chart ) PDF.

Download Indian diet plan for weight gain pdf

End note:

Adequate nutrition during whole treatment helps the patient to manage side effects, avoid any nutritional deficiency as well as to recover faster. Hope this Indian diet plan for chemotherapy patients ( Chemo diet chart ) helps you in faster recovery.