Diet for breast cancer

The principles of daily nutrition have great preventive and therapeutic value for cancer patients. In order to achieve the most positive results in treatment, a diet for breast cancer is simply necessary.

Let's get acquainted with the main advice from specialists in the field of oncology and dietetics.

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What is the diet for breast cancer?

Any diet for cancer patients should be based on the consumption of a complete and balanced composition of products that would provide all the vital needs of the body during such a difficult period for it.

In order for the body to be able to fully absorb the useful and necessary substances received with food, the diet is prescribed fractional, in small portions, but more often than 3 times a day. Six meals a day are considered optimal.

It is also necessary to monitor your drinking regime: sufficient fluid intake (in the form of clean still water) allows the body to rid itself of toxic substances, metabolic products and drug residues.

The products consumed should be as fresh and healthy as possible. Those products that can be eaten raw should be eaten raw, while the rest can be subjected to short-term heat treatment. Never fry products, especially in large quantities of oil: fatty foods, as well as fried ones, can contain large quantities of carcinogenic substances that will only complicate the situation with the disease. Other potential carcinogens are also prohibited. First of all, these are fast food restaurants, semi-finished products, canned, flavored, colored products, as well as products containing GMOs. Remember that the naturalness of products is the main criterion for their usefulness, and artificial additives and preservatives, unfortunately, will not add to health.

Many women, having learned about the diagnosis, lose their appetite and eat only occasionally, often forgetting or not wanting to eat. Nutritionists do not advise giving up food: it is precisely during the period of illness that your body needs support with useful nutrients, vitamins, micro- and macroelements more than ever. The body needs strength to fight the disease, and for this it needs a sufficient amount of nutrients.

Based on the research conducted, scientists have identified several key conditions that increase the chances of recovery from breast cancer almost twofold. Let's list them:

1. Reducing the daily caloric intake by 1/3 by limiting carbohydrate foods.
2. Increase the protein content in food by 1/3.
3. Eating at least five servings of vegetables and fruits daily (this also includes freshly squeezed juices).
4. Elimination of foods containing potential carcinogens and artificial additives.
5. Increasing physical activity in the form of regular 30-minute brisk walks.

Yoga classes also help patients recover.

Breast Cancer Diet Menu

Let's present an approximate version of a weekly menu for a diet for breast cancer.

Day I.

• Breakfast. Oatmeal with skim milk, green tea.
• Snack. Rye bread sandwich with cottage cheese paste, a cup of dried fruit compote.
• Lunch. Borscht with beans (no meat), a portion of stewed rabbit meat, beetroot salad, herbal tea.
• Afternoon snack. A handful of almonds.
• Dinner. Zucchini casserole, a piece of Borodinsky bread, a cup of green tea.
• Before bed – a cup of kefir.

Day II.

• Breakfast. Cottage cheese with raspberries, a cup of green tea.
• Snack. Banana.
• Lunch. Fresh cabbage soup, a portion of baked fish with herbs, Borodinsky bread, a cup of compote.
• Afternoon snack. Whole grain bread with a piece of low-fat cheese, a glass of apple juice.
• Dinner. Vinaigrette with a piece of dark bread, a cup of green tea.
• Before bed – natural yogurt without sweeteners.

Day III.

• Breakfast. Rice pudding, a cup of tea with milk.
• Snack. Apple.
• Lunch. A portion of pea soup, chicken fillet baked in foil with bell pepper, a slice of dark flour bread, green tea.
• Afternoon snack. A sprig of grapes.
• Dinner. Buckwheat porridge, tomato and cabbage salad, Borodinsky bread, a cup of dried fruit compote.
• Before bed – a cup of kefir.

Day IV.

• Breakfast. A portion of fruit salad, green tea.
• Snack: Carrot juice, whole grain cracker.
• Lunch. Broccoli puree soup, carrot casserole, rye bread, a cup of compote.
• Afternoon snack. Two peaches.
• Dinner. Seaweed salad, a piece of boiled fish, a piece of dark bread, a cup of green tea.
• Before bed – a cup of fermented baked milk.

Day V.

• Breakfast. Cottage cheese casserole, a cup of tea with milk.
• Snack. Pear, yogurt.
• Lunch. A serving of celery soup, vegetable stew, whole grain bread, a cup of green tea.
• Afternoon snack. A handful of unsalted peanuts.
• Dinner. Steamed turkey cutlets, cucumber and tomato salad, a slice of black bread, a cup of compote.
• Before bed – a cup of milk.

Day VI.

• Breakfast. Apple baked with cottage cheese, cup of green tea.
• Snack. A serving of fruit salad with yogurt.
• Lunch. A serving of rice soup, a salad of green beans with garlic, a whole grain bread, a cup of dried fruit compote.
• Afternoon snack. Grapefruit.
• Dinner. Eggplant with cheese, a piece of dark bread, carrot juice.
• Before bed – a cup of kefir.

Day VII.

• Breakfast. Steamed cottage cheese pancakes, a glass of orange juice.
• Snack. Carrot and apple salad with yogurt.
• Lunch. Pumpkin porridge, vegetable salad with herbs, steamed fish fillet, a piece of Borodinsky bread, a cup of green tea.
• Afternoon snack. A cup of berries.
• Dinner. Baked zucchini with tomatoes, a piece of dark bread, carrot-apple juice.
• Before bed – yogurt.

You can diversify the menu to your taste, including your favorite dishes from the list of permitted products. It is recommended to cook products in a steamer, bake or boil. Do not serve large portions: excess food eaten, as they say, "feeds the tumor". Make sure that there are always vegetables, greens and fruits on your table. Completely give up sweets: fast carbohydrates promote the growth of tumor cells. It is better to replace candies and cakes with fruits and berries.

Breast Cancer Diet Recipes

We offer you several recipes that can be prepared while following a breast cancer diet.

• Fruit sorbet

We will need any frozen fruits or berries (cherries, strawberries, currants, kiwi, etc.) and milk (can be replaced with yogurt or kefir).

Take a berry or fruit out of the freezer, put it in a blender, pour in the dairy product and beat for a minute. The result is a paste-like mixture, the density of which depends on the ratio of fruit to milk. If you put in more fruit, the mass will become thicker.

Transfer to a vase and serve.

• Cheese spread for sandwiches

We will need: 0.5 l of fermented baked milk, 0.5 l of kefir, 0.25 l of yogurt, half a lemon.

Mix the dairy products and a tablespoon of lemon juice in a container. Cover a sieve or colander with gauze (in 4 layers), put the prepared mass on it. Place a container underneath to drain the whey and hide in the refrigerator for 1.5 days.

The finished cheese paste should acquire a delicate consistency, suitable for spreading on sandwich bread.

If desired, you can add garlic, dill, spices, or other favorite ingredients to the paste.

• Apple and cottage cheese breakfast

We will need: a large and sweet apple, 150-200 g of cottage cheese, one egg.

Grate the apple, add cottage cheese and egg. Mix thoroughly, spread into molds to the top. Place in the microwave at full power for 5-7 minutes, but you can also bake in the oven. The finished breakfast can be sprinkled with cinnamon.

If you don’t have an apple, you can successfully replace it with a banana, pumpkin or pear, to your taste.

• Zucchini puree soup

We will need: one zucchini, 4 small or two large carrots, 4 potatoes, one onion, a clove of garlic, some sour cream or milk (or without them), salt, 50 g of hard diet cheese, greens. If you have pumpkin pieces, you can add them too.

Peel and chop the vegetables and onions, add salt and boil until done. Beat in a blender with a clove of garlic, bring to a boil again and remove from heat.

When serving, put a spoonful of sour cream or a little milk in each plate, sprinkle with grated cheese and herbs. You can serve rye bread croutons with the soup.

• Cauliflower Casserole

You will need: 0.5 kg cauliflower, one carrot, one onion, 2-3 eggs, 150 ml milk, 3 tablespoons rye flour, herbs, 150 g hard cheese.

Divide the cabbage and boil for 10 minutes, drain the water. Chop the carrots and onions and sauté in a frying pan (adding a little vegetable oil). Add the cooled cabbage, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine and mix the eggs, flour and milk, add salt. You can add seasonings to your taste. Pour over the stewed vegetables, sprinkle with grated cheese, cover and leave for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with dill or parsley before serving.

Bon appetit!

Changing your diet will not cure cancer, of course. But following these nutritional recommendations will help strengthen your body's immune defenses, tolerate radiation and chemotherapy more easily and without consequences, and speed up the process of tissue recovery in the postoperative period.

Diet for breast cancer is an important step on the path to recovery and a full, active life.

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What should you not eat if you have breast cancer?

The list of foods that should not be consumed if you have breast cancer includes:

• fatty dairy products;
• refractory fats, margarines, butter;
• fatty meat, rich broth;
• fried, smoked, pickled products;
• sweets and any products containing sugar;
• salty dishes;
• hot pepper;
• packaged juice, carbonated and non-carbonated sweet store-bought drinks;
• pickled cucumbers, apples and cabbage, pickles and marinades;
• canned goods (both store-bought and home-made);
• products with preservatives and vinegar (except apple cider vinegar);
• mushroom dishes;
• fresh baked goods, pastries, white flour products;
• processed and salted cheese;
• coffee, chocolate;
• alcoholic beverages, nicotine.

What can you eat if you have breast cancer?

The list of permitted products for breast cancer is quite varied:

• fruits (apricots, peaches, apples, oranges, pears, grapes, bananas, kiwi, grapefruits, lemons);
• vegetables (bell peppers, zucchini, squash, cabbage, carrots, eggplants, corn, beets, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes);
• berries (blueberries, cranberries, bilberries, raspberries, cherries, gooseberries, strawberries, currants, mulberries);
• melons (melon, pumpkin, watermelon);
• legumes (peas, different types of beans, including asparagus beans, lentils);
• freshly squeezed natural juices;
• seaweed;
• garlic, onion, leek;
• different types of greens (parsley, arugula, lettuce, dill, cilantro);
• cereals, grains (buckwheat, millet, rice, barley and corn grits, oats);
• fish (especially red fish);
• vegetable oil (unrefined sunflower, olive, corn, sesame, flaxseed, pumpkin seed oil);
• low-fat and fat-free dairy products (whole milk, cottage cheese, sour milk, kefir, baked milk, fermented baked milk, yogurt, sourdough, unsalted diet cheeses);
• white lean meat (chicken, rabbit, turkey);
• dried bread made from dark flour;
• green tea;
• still mineral water.