Dietary Recommendations for Loss of Appetite in Gastric Cancer

Loss of appetite, also called anorexia, is a common symptom among people with stomach cancer, as is a feeling of fullness (feeling full prematurely when eating). These symptoms lead to lower food intake and may appear at any time throughout the cancer process. It is important to pay special attention if they last over time, because they can affect the patient’s nutritional status.
Having proper nutritional status is important in order to cope with the treatments. The following dietary recommendations should be adjusted depending on whether the loss of appetite is accompanied by other symptoms, such as acid reflux, nausea, etc.

WHAT DO WE RECOMMEND?

Take advantage of the time of the day when your appetite is the strongest to include the most nutritious foods.

Always ensure that lunch and dinner include vegetables (raw or cooked, depending on tolerance), starchy (tubers, grains and legumes, depending on tolerance) and high-protein foods (meat, fish and eggs or other protein-rich foods, such as soybeans and soy by-products like tofu, if well tolerated), as indicated in the plate method.
This method allows small amounts to be eaten using a dessert dish, as shown in the following recipe, but it also allows different meals to be made, such as combo plates, complete dishes, a starter with a main course, a first and a second course and even sandwiches or little plates.

They offer a large amount of calories and nutrients within a small volume of food.

  • Prepared chicken or cod croquettes or frozen empanadas (meat, tuna, egg, cheese, etc.) can be fried or reheated on the spot. You can also have nutritious legume pâtés to spread on toast or sandwiches; calorie-rich soups, which can be kept in the refrigerator and eaten directly (hot or cold); and sweet dishes to be eaten as dessert or between meals, such as flan, pudding or Greek-style or protein-rich yoghurt.
Some suggested recipes:

Pork and potato croquettes

Banana caramel pudding

Protein-rich apple egg flan

Microwave codfish omelette

  • Prepare complete protein-rich shakes with fresh fruit, dairy or plant-based milk, nuts, dried fruit, biscuits, legumes, eggs, etc.
Some suggested recipes:

Walnut and strawberry smoothie

Protein-rich vegan smoothie

Banana and hazelnut smoothie

Baked apple smoothie

Vegan banana oat smoothie

  • Dishes can be enriched to increase their nutritional density with high-calorie and/or high-protein foods:

    • Soups and purées: add grated cheese, powdered milk, hard-boiled egg, diced chicken or fish, ground nuts, legumes.
    • Pasta, rice, cooked vegetables and other dishes: enrich with cheese, mayonnaise, tuna, grated egg white, fresh non-acidic fruit, ground nuts, diced chicken or turkey, fish, crab sticks.
    • Milk: add powdered milk or honey.
    • Yoghurt: add powdered milk, diced fresh fruit, fruit in its juice, ground nuts or 100% nut butter, ground seeds, honey, breakfast cereals (puffed rice, cornflakes), jam, fruit compote.
Some suggested recipes:

Quick chickpea purée and hard-boiled egg

Pear pudding (enriched)

Enriched instant banana and apple ice cream

Protein-rich apple egg flan

‘Arroz con leche’ express (Spanish rice pudding)

Creamy potato soup

If the lack of appetite is accompanied by acid reflux or abdominal pain, avoid raw and fibre-rich vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, artichoke, asparagus, etc.), whole grains, fried and very fatty dishes, excessive condiments or acidic fruits. For more information see ‘Abdominal pain and/or acid reflux (heartburn)’.

Have foods accessible for snacking; if left in the field of vision, it may be consumed more frequently: grapes, bananas, apples, breadsticks, toast, Maria-style biscuits, puffed rice flakes, yoghurt (plain, Greek, high protein – with more than 15 g of protein per container, such as Yopro ®, Hacendado ®, Pastoret ®, Skyr ®, etc.) or individually-wrapped cheese.

Even if you have no appetite, it is essential to think about the need to eat. How much you eat in a single meal matters less than the total you have managed to eat by the end of the day, so it is important to set small goals that can be met throughout the day.

Always drink outside of meals and drink more nutritious liquids, such as fruit and vegetable smoothies (not acidic ones if there is acid reflux or heartburn).

Serving food on large plates will give the sense that there is less food, and this may make it easier to eat.
Presenting the food beautifully with a variety of colours, textures and smells will also help to improve acceptance.

Choose cold or lukewarm dishes.

Always use an exhaust fan.
Have some dishes prepared in advance to avoid having to cook every day.

  • Prepare extra food and store it ready-to-eat in individual portions in either the refrigerator or the freezer.
  • Boil pasta or rice and plut it ready-to-eat in covered containers in the refrigerator.
  • Prepare creamy vegetable and legume soups and freeze them in individual portions.
  • Leave ready-to-eat food that can be eaten easily, like melon or watermelon already cut into pieces.
  • Boil eggs and put them in the shell in the refrigerator. They will last 3-4 days and are an excellent alternative to add to soups, salads, vegetables, pasta, rice and other dishes.

This helps to stimulate appetite.

to avoids undesirable flavours that may later be associated with certain foods.