Choose Healthy Foods for Cancer Being aware of what we eat and stepping up nutrition intake are the key aspects of handling any health condition. When it comes to cancer, one needs to focus on increasing immunity to fight against the attacking cancer cell. True to the fact that each individual needs are different, but in general one needs to focus on having high calorie, high protein and antioxidant rich meals with enough of liquids. Pick the best foods for you, and speed up the journey to good health.
1. Unrefined Flours are Your Best Friends : Refined flours add no nutrition. They are devoid of fiber and other key nutrients. Avoid the maida and its products like bread, pasta, noodles, pizza and burger.
Instead befriend iron rich bajra flour, fiber rich quinoa flour and oats flour, protein rich jowar flour etc. Try the South Indian style Jowar Palak Appe or Gujarati Style Quinoa Red Chawli Leaves Khakhra.
2. Protein Foods are also a Must : Foods high in protein which can be included by cancer patients include eggs, curd, dals, pulses and sprouts. Don’t miss out on a portion of dal in any one meal – lunch or dinner. Include curd by way of Lauki aur Phudine ka Raita and Strawberry and Black Grape Raita for main meals. Any one meal can also have a subzi made with beans and dals like Suva Moong Dal Subzi and Spinach and Moath Beans Curry. The protein from these foods will help maintain cell health and also develop immune cells to fight cancer cells.
When it comes to cooking with sprouts, try a tikki like Sprouts Tikki if you wish try a North Indian Snack or go in for Stuffed Moong Sprouts Dosa on days when to enjoy a South Indian fare. For lunch include them by way of a nourishing salad like Roasted Capsicum and Alfalfa Sprouts Salad with Peanut Dressing.
Try and combine a cereal and pulse to create unique fare like Oats, Vegetable and Brown Rice Khichdi or Oats and Moong Dal Dahi Vada. This is considered to be a good quality protein (especially for vegetarians) which is a true protein boost for each and every cell of the body.
3. Beautifully Add Veggies to Any Meal You Cook : What do veggies give that nourish your cells? They abound in antioxidants. These are compounds which help our body fight against cancer cells. Most recipes in this section are therefore rich in immunity-helpers like antioxidants.
There are a number of antioxidants like lutein, indoles, lignans, carotenoids etc. that you can benefit from. Wisely stock up on them by cooking a variety of fare like Nourishing Barley Soup, Broccoli Paratha, Garlicky Lentil and Tomato Soup, Vegan Healthy Lunch Salad, Bajra, Carrot and Onion Uttapa.
4. Shop the Colourful Fruits : The best part about the fruits is that they are natural ready-to-eat foods. Just wash and clean them thoroughly and enjoy them. And when there are plenty to choose from why restrict yourself to a few.
Try all the different coloured fruits. They too provide a variety of antioxidants… like bromelain from pineapple, lycopene from tomatoes, vitamin C from strawberries, guava and amla, resveratrolfrom black grapes and so on… These key antioxidants by way of Strawberry Black Grape Raita and Pineapple Cucumber Salad will help strengthen your body to fight against the cancer cells and nourish the other cells of your body.
5. Focus on Few Healthy Seeds : These include sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds contain good amounts of B – vitamins which help in synthesizing energy in the body. On the other hand flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds are rich in omega 3 fatty acids which help reduce the inflammation in the body. These seeds have also been known to reduce the growth of cancer cells.
Introduce these seeds to your diet by way of regular meals. You need not cook separate meals with these seeds. Just sprinkle a few seeds on top of roti while rolling to make something simple and wholesome like Oats Flax seeds Roti. We have creatively used them to make Flax Seed Shakarpara and Nutritious Vegetable Salad (this salad makes use of sunflower seeds).
6. Benefit from the Wonder Nuts too : Almonds and walnuts top this category. Rich in protein they help support cell growth and maintenance.
7. Concentrate on MCT : Opt for ghee or coconut oil. These are medium chain triglycerides (MCT) which are easier to digest and do not lead to deposition of fat in the body.
8. Sip on Lukewarm Lemon Water Daily in the Morning : This helps in detoxifying the body. Want to know the recipe? Check out Lemon Honey Water.
9. Reach Out for One Dish Meals : These can help nourish your cells. One dish meal is a good idea to stock up on all nutrients at one go. This is especially good for those undergoing chemotherapy or overcome the problem of low appetite. Masoor Dal and Palak Khichdi, Mooli Jowar Roti with a bowl of Curd, Paneer Tamatar Paratha and many more…
10. Have Enough Liquids Through the Day : Sip on water throughout the day. Have at least 2 to 3 liters of water daily. Rely on healthy smoothies too for liquid intake. They are the best to bank on during cancer, especially for those who have low appetite, nausea or mouth sores. Some healthy smoothie options are Papaya Mango Smoothie, Blueberry Orange and Yoghurt Smoothie and Oats Apple Almond Milk Healthy Smoothie are a few hand-picked options just for you. All you need to remember is to avoid the addition of sugar to these smoothies. Use naturally sweet fruits or add a tsp of honey if you wish to.
This section is divided into various categories, focusing on the meals of each day as well as on specific ailments and conditions related to cancer.
Enjoy our Recipes for cancer patients, Healthy Veg Recipes for Cancer Patients and other cancer recipe articles below.
Snacks recipes for Cancer Patients. We all love snacks, and yearn for something new every day. The best recommendation for cancer patients is to have small and frequent meals and thus snacks form a very important part of their daily meals. Of course, we all are well versed with the list of ingredients to stock our pantry with to make delicious snacks. These include whole grains and their flours, dals and sprouts along with all sorts of colourful veggies and fruits…. Recipes are Veg Oats Pancake, Bajra Methi Khakhra and Spinach and Paneer Dip are very easy to create in your own kitchen.
Let’s peep into using these ingredients to create inexpensive and impressive snacks. The good news is that snacks are not always unhealthy. You just need to learn the art of substitution and cook wisely and deliciously using healthy ingredients available in nature bountifully.
Steaming, since ages, has been considered a healthier method of cooking. It involves use of less oil thus avoiding any unnecessary extra fat. Remember you need some fat in your diet. Do not go completely oil-free. Fats are needed to lubricate your joints.
Combining various flours and veggies to create healthier snacks should be the main motto here. Just invest in a good steamer and try the famous Gujarati Snack Methi Moong Dal Dhokla – you are sure to love it. On days you want to opt for a South Indian Style steamed snack, reach out for Oats Idli.
2. Non-fried Snacks for Cancer Patients
Deep-fried snacks are by far the most famous snacks people reach out for, as they are considered the most palatable by most of us. But deep-frying calls for addition of excess fat, which isn’t really required.
Shared here are tested non-fried versions of famous fried snacks like tikkis, samosas, kebab, vada etc. which are made using more nourishing ingredients and in a healthier way. Try and avoid using only potatoes and cornflour for binding tikkis too. Oats Moong Dal Tikki is a non-fried tikki which has oats as binding agent and cooked to perfection on a non-stick tava. Paneer is another protein rich ingredient which serves the purpose of binding the tikkis. If you love the taste of paneer do try Mixed Sprouts and Chana Dal Tikki which has a hint of paneer.
Learn to add taste by way of fresh herbs and basic spices instead of oodles of oil for frying. Sprouts Tikki, which has chopped coriander and mint for taste, is a classic example to prove this.
Dahi vada can also be non-fried. Surprised? Try it out using an apple mould. Check out the step-by-step recipe of Oats and Moong Dal Dahi Vada. Want to watch a video of Oats and Moong Dal Dahi Vada recipe?
3. Tava Snacks for Cancer Patients
Well, there is more than tikkis and kebabs that can be made on a tava. This section is loaded with a variety of other healthy snacks you can try your hand at. Pancakes, chilas and dosas are the best hot tava snacks you can opt for. These if made on a non-stick tava, do not require too much oil, so they are quite healthy. They are really satisfying too.
Moreover you know that you need to stock up on more nutrients to fight the attacking cancer cells. So a close look at the ingredients you add to create nourishing snacks is extremely crucial. Stuffed Moong Sprouts Dosa, Nachni Paneer Pancake, High Fiber Chilas, Protein Rich Adai and Sprouts Pancake are some snacks which are sure to suit your requirement. They are so tasty that you will never want any more junk food!
Occasionally use the griller pan to create healthy recipes like Grilled Zucchini and Carrots too. This recipe is ready in less than 5 minutes. Olive oil is the real taste enhancer of this delicacy. Really worth a try at least once. You can then go ahead and try with other crunchy veggies of your choice too.
4. Dry Snacks for Cancer Patients
Snacks packed in an air-tight dabba are loved by one and all. For cancer patients dry snacks are the best options, especially if they are undergoing chemotherapy and having symptoms of nausea and vomiting.
Make batches of Oats Methi Multiflour Khakhra, Whole Wheat Masala Khakhra or Palak Jeera Nimki and enjoy them at home. Well, it’s true that making them requires a wee bit of time. But they are quite handy for you to carry to work as well. These will serve as healthy alternatives to calorie-laden roadside snacks and canteen snacks, which don’t really add on nutrients to fight cancer.
5. Healthy Dips for Cancer Patients
If you love dips as small in between snacks, you are sure to love each and every variety of dip shared by us here. They can be made is advance and refrigerated till you feel like enjoying them.
Parsley Yogurt Dip - a protein rich curd based dip, Pumpkin Dip – a vitamin A rich red pumpkin as the major ingredient with a hint of mint and Spinach and Paneer Dip - a calcium rich fare are few recipes we have been chosen specially for you. These include ingredient which offer a variety of nutrients to support cell health.
Serve these dips with healthy crackers like Flax Seed Crackers, khakhras like Plain Whole Wheat Khakhras or the best option is to serve them with Vegetable Crudités for an added antioxidant boost.
Enjoy our Snacks recipes for Cancer Patients and other cancer recipe articles below.
Dinner recipes for Cancer Patients, Healthy dinner recipes for Cancer: Dinner is supposed to be a light meal, as you go to bed soon after it. Yet, the meal needs to also fulfil your nutritional requirements. This is because cancer, in any stage, puts a toll on your body’s stock of nutrients. You are what you eat…. You need to cook with nourishing ingredients in the healthiest way so that your body benefits the most.
The main focus has to be protein, energy, antioxidants and fluids.
1. Roti-Subzi Dinner Combo for Cancer Patients : Most people relish this combo… it’s a staple in many households. It’s absolutely healthy as long as you avoid the use of maida, the refined flour which is devoid of nutrients. Use a variety of other flours like oats flour, jowar flour, nachni flour etc. Use them to make innovative rotis like Oats and Cabbage Rotis and Serving them with Paneer Methi Palak Subzi turns out to be a truly tasty treat! You can even make plain Bajra Rotis and serve them with Sprouts Kadhi This combo has all the goodness of iron, protein, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals.
2. Soup and Salad Light Dinner Meal for Cancer Patients : There is a likelihood that on some days, especially on the day of chemotherapy or other treatment, you may have a low appetite. On such days you can opt for a hot appetizing soup and accompany it with a salad which is quick and easy to make. You can try protein rich Healthy Red Lentil Soup and multi-nutrient Fruit and Lettuce Salad.
3. One Dish Dinner Meal for Cancer Patients : Khichdi is the most soothing and so called ‘comfort food’ for dinner. Of course you can go ahead and make regular rice and dal khichdi, but occasionally also try ‘out of the box’ recipes like Oats Khichdi and Bajra Whole Moong and Green Pea Khichdi. Oats are a good source of energy as well as B vitamins which are involved in energy metabolism. On the other hand, bajra will add enough iron to your diet. This is a key nutrient involved in supply of oxygen and nutrients to each and every organ and cell of your body. These khichdi are also an excellent options for those cancer patients who have mouth sores and chewing any type of food is a big challenge. As an accompaniment you can serve Flax Seeds Raita, which fosters your immune system with a burst of vitamin E and omega 3 fatty acids. These help you fight against cancer cell attack.
And if you love eggs, you can try Fluffy Egg White Masala Omellete. If you prefer a stuffed paratha with a bowl of curds, try Stuffed Nachni Roti.
4. Quick Dinner Ideas for Cancer Patients : Quick meals seems to be like convenient options in a busy life. A recipe is truly quick if it doesn’t call for too many preparations and uses few commonly available ingredients. We have designed such no-fuss nutritious recipes that will help you fight cancer. Mini Jowar Pancakes and Oats Spinach Adai are recipes which fulfill this objective. Serve them hot with green chutney and a tall glass of Pudina Chaas. You are sure to have a sense of blissful meal.
Enjoy our Healthy recipes for Cancer Patients, Healthy dinner recipes for Cancer and other cancer recipe articles given below.