Cancer: Managing Eating Problems During Cancer Treatment: Cancer Center: UI Health Topics

Managing Eating Problems During Cancer Treatment

Taste Changes

Peer Review Status: Internally Reviewed by Cancer Center Staff
Creation Date: September 2003
Last Revision Date: February 2007

Certain medications, chemotherapy, and radiation to the head and neck can alter taste. Meat may become metallic tasting. All foods may taste salty. Foods may lose all taste. For most people these changes are temporary. In the meantime the following hints may be useful.

Eat foods that taste normal.
Use herbs and spices to improve flavor.
Marinate protein foods in fruit juice or wine, or serve with a strong sauce.
Add sugar to enhance pleasant tastes and decrease salty, bitter, or acid tastes.
Eat cold or room temperature foods to decrease the foods taste and smell.
Eat bland foods such as macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, rice or plain chicken.
Use plastic eating utensils instead of metal.
Try foods not usually eaten to eliminate comparing taste changes.
Suck on lemon drops or mint candy.
Remember that taste perception changes from day to day.
Eat frozen foods, such as grapes and blueberries.
Eat fresh vegetables rather than canned or frozen.

Last modification date: Tue Mar 20 16:26:58 2007
URL: http://www.uihealthcare.com /topics/medicaldepartments/cancercenter/eatingproblems/taste.html