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What foods taste good after chemo changes senses?

Page last modified on: October 21, 2009

Question from NancyR: Chemo has altered my taste buds. Have you heard from others about what kinds of foods taste better to them when this happens? Or is it individual to the person?: Answers —Larissa Korde, M.D., M.P.H.: I think it is pretty individual and I generally encourage my patients to eat what tastes good to them. One tip I've heard from patients on chemo and that I suggest is things that aren't too hot or cold but more room temperature. In terms of bland versus spicy, I usually tell people to go with what appeals to them.; Diana Dyer, M.S., R.D.: From personal perspective, in addition to taste alteration, a previous question touched on smell alteration. For myself, having strong smelling foods would also cause the food to not taste as good. So, cooking with the fans on, cooking with lids on your food can help to keep that smell out of the house and minimized. I also had, with my chemotherapy, a metallic taste in my mouth and I found eating with plasticware instead of silverware helped cut that down. Also with that metallic taste, what helped me was to actually put teriyaki sauce on practically everything. It really cut that metallic taste that seemed to override any other food taste that I was expecting. So, for a few months, a lot of my foods tasted the same because it tasted like teriyaki sauce, but at least I could eat it so it was nourishing my body.

On Tuesday, October 13, 2009, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Nutrition Through the Holidays. Diana Dyer, M.S., R.D. and Larissa Korde, M.D., M.P.H. answered your questions about what and how much to eat when holiday treats abound.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of Breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Diana Dyer, M.S., R.D. is a registered dietitian in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a two-time breast cancer survivor.

Larissa Korde, M.D., M.P.H. is an assistant professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance of the University of Washington. She specializes in the care of breast cancer patients.