Oncoalícia〡Menjar durant el Tractament del Càncer

Distortion of taste

It is called dysgeusia and refers to the perception of unpleasant, metallic, or bitter tastes in food.

WHAT DO WE RECOMMEND?

Maintain good oral hygiene. Wash your mouth before eating with water and thyme or bicarbonate of soda.

To minimise off-flavours, rinse your mouth with thyme or chamomile infusions during cancer treatment. After treatment, try having herbal teas (with mint or lemon), other herbal infusions, fruit juices, or small portions of jellies or homemade ice lollies, before, during and after meals.

Some suggested recipes:

Ginger infusion

Ginger and mint jelly

Kiwi and apple polenta

Eat sugar-free sweets or chewing gum in between meals.

It can help to avoid bad flavours.

Use non-metallic utensils and cutlery to serve and eat food (plastic, silicone, porcelain, bamboo, wood…).

Eat acid fruit (oranges, lemon, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple…) to help the metallic taste disappear. Avoid if sores appear.

If you find unpleasant tastes in the water, add a few drops of lemon juice. Dilute the juice of one lemon in a litre of water or put citrus cubes in the water (see recipe).

Some suggested recipes:

Citrus ice cubes.

Eating tapas-style (small amounts of different dishes and not too much of a single dish): the metallic taste usually appears after a while of eating.

To make sure that by eating tapas, the necessary nutrients are incorporated, it is recommended to start from the ratio of the plate method. Follow the next recipe as an example

Some suggested recipes:

Complete plate in tapas format

Protein-rich foods can lead to increased off-tastes. Prepare meat, fish, seafood, and eggs in a way that hides the unpleasant tastes they may cause.

Soften the flavour with marinades for meat and fish, citrus juices, sweet and sour sauces, or non-spicy spices.

Some suggested recipes:

Ceviche

Tandoori chicken

Eating meat mixed with sweet or aromatic foods or condiments (fruit, nuts, compotes, jams, marmalades, honey, etc.).

Some suggested recipes:

Chicken skewers with apple

Roast pork with dried fruit and dried fruit

Use cooking preparations where the ingredients mix well together such as puddings, croquettes, fritters, empanadas, cannelloni, or sandwich fillings.

Some suggested recipes:

Turkey and vegetable pie

Meat ball with fruit and dried fruit

Hot meat empanadas

Prepare unfamiliar or different dishes.

Very often, the bad taste of food occurs when it does not meet the expectations of the dish; if you prepare dishes that you have never tried before, you minimise the effect of expectation and can better tolerate strange tastes. It is an opportunity to get to know new food cultures and to choose spicy preparations that are appealing, but at the same time easy to prepare.

Some suggested recipes:

Hindu ‘dahl’

Spaghetti ‘yakisoba’

Tabbouleh

Avoid eating your favorite foods as the body tends to associate feeling unwell with the foods you have just eaten and may develop an aversion to them.