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& Survivorship > Patient and Family Support Services Program > Making Every Bite Count > Managing Eating Problems Topic List
- Eat six to eight small meals a day, instead of three large meals.
- Eat dry foods, such as crackers, toast, dry cereals or bread sticks when you wake up and
every few hours during the day.
- Choose foods that do not have a strong odor, and eat foods cold instead of hot.
- Avoid foods that are overly sweet, fatty, fried, or spicy such as rich desserts and french fries.
- Sit up or recline with your head raised for at least one hour after eating if you need to rest.
- Be sure to drink enough fluid by sipping clear liquids frequently.
- Talk with your doctor about a prescription for anti-nausea medicine. The medicine works best
when it is taken regularly a half hour before meals.
- Try bland, soft, easy-to-digest foods on scheduled treatment days. Foods such as cream of wheat
and chicken noodle soup with saltine crackers may be better tolerated than heavy meals.
- Avoid eating in a room that is stuffy or warm, or that has cooking odors or other smells.
Cook outside on the grill or use boiling bags to reduce cooking smells.
- Rinse out your mouth before and after meals.
- Suck on hard candy, such as peppermint or lemon, if there is a bad taste in your mouth.
- Drink eight or more cups of liquid each day if you can. Drink an additional 1/2 to 1 cup of
liquid for each episode of vomiting. It is better to sip liquids 30 to 60 minutes after eating
solid food.
