Meal and snack ideas

When you feel too tired or unwell to shop for food or cook, or if you’re missing meals while having treatment, the quick meal and snack ideas below may help.

Some may not seem like healthy choices, but if you have a poor appetite it’s important to focus on high-protein and high-kilojoule food and fluids to ensure your body gets all the energy it needs. You can return to the healthy eating guidelines when your appetite improves.

Avoid foods that might make any treatment-related side effects worse (e.g. if you have a sore throat, do not eat dry, coarse snacks or acidic foods). If you have another health condition, such as diabetes, the suggestions below may not be suitable.

Check with your doctor or a dietitian before changing what you eat and drink while having cancer treatment.

Light meal and drink ideas

• baked beans on toast with grated cheese
• crumpets or muffins toasted with cheese, and a piece of fruit
• scrambled or poached egg on toast and a glass of orange juice
• tuna or sardines on buttered toast with fresh tomato
• omelette with cheese or mushrooms and buttered bread
• toast with cheese, avocado or peanut butter, followed by sliced banana and yoghurt
• cereal or toasted muesli with  full-cream milk and yoghurt
• porridge or rice pudding made with milk and cream
• congee
• pancakes or French toast with fruit and maple syrup

Nourishing drinks

These drinks are high in protein, energy, vitamins and minerals:

• enriched milk mixed with Milo or Horlicks
• milkshake
• banana smoothie
• mango lassi (see recipe below)
• hot chocolate
• flavoured milk
• apricot lemon crush (see recipe below)

Main meal ideas

• fresh or frozen fish with chips and salad
• grilled lamb cutlets, mashed potato with margarine or butter, and peas and carrots
• pasta with a ready-made sauce (e.g. pesto or bolognaise, and cheese)
• cheesy vegetable bake (see recipe below)
• lentil dhal with chapatis or rice
• green or red chicken or vegetable curry with basmati rice
• salmon, tuna or egg with storebought mayonnaise, salad and buttered bread roll
• frozen or fresh lasagne or moussaka
• frittata or quiche
• salmon or tofu with soba noodles
• occasional takeaway such as noodles, stir-fry, curry and rice, hamburgers or pizza (ensure the food is freshly cooked)
• refrigerated leftover food from the previous day – reheat till steaming
• microwave potato with baked beans and cheese
• egg, tempeh and cooked vegetables with gado gado (peanut) dressing
• wrap with falafel, hummus and salad

Snack ideas

• crackers with cheese 
• pita bread with hummus 
• buttered pikelets, scones, muffins, fruit buns, crumpets, finger buns or raisin toast
• celery with cream cheese or peanut butter
• hard-boiled eggs
• dried fruit and nuts
• jaffles, sandwiches and toast – try egg and store-bought mayonnaise, cheese, peanut butter, avocado, tinned salmon or tuna
• milk puddings, such as creamed rice, rice pudding, custard, mousse and instant puddings
• fruit (fresh, frozen or tinned) with custard, yoghurt, jelly, ice-cream, cream or condensed milk
• stewed fruit with custard or cream
• creamy soup with added cream, and buttered toast
• hot chips, chicken nuggets or fish fingers
• instant noodles with frozen vegetables
• potato crisps, pretzels or corn chips with dips, salsa or guacamole
• yoghurt or ice-cream
• frozen sausage rolls, meat pies, samosas or spring rolls

Where to find recipes online

• From Treatment to Table is a collection of recipes for people with head and neck cancer. If you have trouble swallowing, the recipe book Beyond the Blender may help. Visit Head and Neck Cancer Australia and search for recipe books.

• Culturally relevant recipes are available for people in Chinese and Greek communities living with cancer. These resources were developed by the University of Tasmania’s Centre for Rural Health.