If you are living with ovarian cancer, your diet can play an important role in helping you navigate treatment. Proper nutrition provides the calories and nutrients your body needs to support your metabolism and immune system, manage symptoms, maintain strength, and reduce the possibility of complications. In some cases, eating well may even help lessen certain treatment side effects. This is especially important for Black Americans, who are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages and face worse survival outcomes than white patients.
Unfortunately, cancer treatment can change the way food tastes, decrease your appetite, and make eating feel like a challenge.
So what can you do? Here’s what you need to know about maintaining your strength through diet when eating becomes difficult.
If you’re not sure where to start, aim for a variety of colorful foods. They’re packed with nutrients that can help you maintain a healthy weight and give your body the energy it needs during treatment.
Start small with foods you already enjoy, then gradually add or swap foods until you build a balanced diet that’s sustainable for you.
Here are the types of foods to include each day:
Keep it simple: Fill half your plate with a colorful mix of vegetables at each meal. Dark leafy greens and orange vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, carrots, and sweet potatoes are especially nutritious. Beans and starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn are also healthy choices.
Whole fruit is generally a better choice than fruit juice because it contains more fiber. Aim for about two cups of fruit each day, and limit juice whenever possible.
Grains are an important part of a well-balanced diet, and at least half of the grains you eat should be whole grains. Look for products labeled 100% whole grain or those that list a whole grain as the first ingredient. Depending on your calorie needs, five to eight ounces of whole grains each day is a good goal.
Protein helps repair tissues, build muscle, and transport oxygen throughout the body. During cancer treatment, your protein needs may increase. Aim for five to seven ounces of lean protein daily from a variety of sources, including poultry, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, soy foods, and lean meats.
Dairy products provide calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and protein to support healthy bones, teeth, and muscles. Aim for about three cups of low-fat milk, yogurt, or cheese each day. If you’re lactose intolerant, lactose-free or low-lactose dairy products can provide similar nutrients.
Chemotherapy can reduce the number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells in your body, increasing your risk of anemia. Eating iron-rich foods such as eggs, leafy green vegetables, sesame seeds, beans, lentils, and nuts may help support healthy red blood cell production.
Many people with ovarian cancer choose to follow a low-fat diet. While research is still limited, one study found that women with ovarian cancer who followed a low-fat diet rich in vegetables, fruit, and fiber had a 27 percent lower risk of death than those who did not.
Researchers believe one reason may be that low-fat diets can reduce visceral fat—the fat that surrounds your internal organs. Reducing visceral fat may improve metabolism, helping your body use food more efficiently for energy while preserving lean muscle.
However, other research suggests that people with advanced ovarian cancer may benefit from getting more of their calories from protein and healthy fats while eating fewer carbohydrates. Some studies indicate that reducing carbohydrate intake may slow the growth of cancer cells, which depend heavily on glucose and insulin.
Because the evidence is still evolving, talk with your health care team before making significant changes to your diet.
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Knowing what foods to eat is only part of the equation. Living with ovarian cancer can also take an emotional toll. Pain, anxiety, depression, and fatigue can make eating feel like one more challenge.
Treatment side effects can make many of your favorite foods suddenly seem unappealing. People with advanced ovarian cancer often experience nausea, fatigue, early fullness, difficulty swallowing, and changes in taste.
If that sounds familiar, these strategies may help:
For nausea, Cara Anselmo, a Clinical Dietitian-Nutritionist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, recommends choosing foods and beverages that are cool, cold, or frozen. Smoothies and fruits like watermelon, sliced apples, and strawberries can be easier to tolerate. Bland foods such as saltine crackers, dry toast, or even potato chips may also help settle an upset stomach. Rather than eating three large meals, Anselmo recommends having several smaller meals or snacks throughout the day.
If you’re experiencing changes in taste—including a metallic taste—Anselmo suggests adding lemon, lime, or mint to water and using small amounts of salt, sugar, honey, or fresh and dried herbs to enhance food. Eating with wooden or plastic utensils instead of metal ones may also help reduce a metallic taste.
Mouth sores are another common treatment side effect. Cool, soft, creamy foods such as yogurt, smoothies, and homemade shakes are often easier to eat and may be more soothing. Baking soda or saltwater rinses can also help. Anselmo recommends avoiding foods and drinks that are very hot, spicy, acidic, or rough in texture, including citrus fruits, tomato sauce, hard pretzels, and granola.
If fatigue is one of your biggest challenges, keep meals simple. Stock up on easy-to-prepare foods such as yogurt cups, instant oatmeal, canned tuna or salmon, frozen vegetables, and healthy prepared meals. Although it may feel counterintuitive, limiting caffeine to the early part of the day and consuming it in moderation can improve sleep, which may help reduce fatigue over time. Skipping meals can worsen dehydration and fatigue, so eating regularly and preparing meals in advance whenever possible can make a difference.
Hydration is just as important as nutrition during treatment. Staying well hydrated can help your body tolerate treatment and manage side effects such as constipation and diarrhea.
Aim for at least two liters of fluids each day. Water is ideal, but plain seltzer, sparkling or mineral water, hot tea, cocoa, and unsweetened iced tea also count. Adding lemon, lime, cucumber, or mint to water—or drinking through a straw—may make it easier to drink more throughout the day.
Remember that hydration doesn’t only come from beverages. Foods high in water content such as watermelon, apples, cucumbers, frozen fruit pops, and sorbet may also contribute to your daily fluid intake.
These tips are a great place to start, but everyone’s nutritional needs are different during cancer treatment.
It is equally important to pay close attention to ongoing changes in your appetite. If you’ve lost your appetite for more than a few days, are unintentionally losing weight, have trouble eating or drinking enough, or are experiencing side effects like nausea, mouth sores, or difficulty swallowing, it can become harder to give your body the nutrition it needs. If any of these symptoms persist, let your care team know. They can recommend medications and nutrition strategies to help manage your symptoms and, if needed, refer you to a registered dietitian who can create a meal plan customized to your needs before these issues begin to affect your strength or treatment.
Eating while coping with ovarian cancer can be challenging, but you don’t have to get it perfect. Focus on small, attainable steps that help nourish and hydrate your body. Every healthy choice can support healing, maintain your energy, and help you better tolerate treatment. With proper support and a flexible approach, you can give your body what it needs to get through treatment as comfortably as possible.
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