If you are being treated for cancer, it can be hard to meet your nutrient needs during meals. Smaller meals and snacks throughout the day are often easier to get in. Try to eat foods that work with side effects that you may have from treatment. For example, if you have mouth sores, choose soft, bland foods like scrambled eggs and yogurt.
20 Mini Meal Ideas Perfect for Busy DaysOvernight Oats.Whole-Grain Toast and Nut Butter.Fruit and Nut Greek Yogurt.White Bean Dip and Veggies.Breakfast Burrito.Chicken Salad Sandwich.Salmon Salad.Quinoa Salad.
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Overnight Oats.
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Whole-Grain Toast and Nut Butter.
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Fruit and Nut Greek Yogurt.
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White Bean Dip and Veggies.
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Breakfast Burrito.
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Chicken Salad Sandwich.
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Salmon Salad.
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Quinoa Salad.
How many calories do I need?
Each person needs a different amount of calories per day. Use this formula to figure out how many calories you need each day:
- Divide your weight in pounds (lbs.) by 2.2.
- Multiply (times) this number by 30.
- Example: 150lbs divided by 2.2 = 68.18
- 68.18 x 30 = 2,054 daily calories needed.
Take this total calorie number and divide by the number of meals/snacks you want to eat. Use this as a guide for the number of calories to have per meal/snack.
- Divide your daily calorie needs by the number of meals/snacks you plan to eat that day.
- Example: 2,054 calories divided by 6 meals/snacks = 340 calories per meal/snack.
Good to know Look for the word “whole” in the first ingredient when choosing breads, crackers, and cereals. Whole grains offer more complete health benefits than refined grains.
Mini mealsMini meals are a little larger than snacks, but not as big as a full meal. Here are some examples of a three-day mini meal schedule (six mini meals per day) that can be mixed and matched based on your tastes and preferences.
Getting enough of each of these three components is crucial for keeping up your strength during treatment: Proteins are building blocks for muscles, blood cells, and other tissues that need repair; carbohydrates provide nutrients and fiber; fats help prevent unintentional weight loss.
The Iris Care Team is available to support you and help you meet your nutritional needs.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
SnacksIf you’re finding it hard to eat during cancer care, you might consider opting for impactful snacks that pack a large amount of nutrients into smaller portion sizes.
2 big meals better than 6 small ones? New diet study
FAQ
What should I eat for a small meal?
What are some small frequent meals?
What are 5 small meals a day?
What is a small meal?
There’s no set definition for a small meal. A review article published in 2019 in the scientific journal Nutrients refers to a small meal as “nibbling” or a snack. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), snacks usually have about 200 to 300 calories.
What is a good snack to eat?
Healthy snacks are fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen fruit, whole grain bread, crackers and cereals, low fat yogurt and cheese, unsalted nuts and seeds and their butters, hummus.
What to eat if you’re not looking for a big meal?
Pasta is a common pick for a light dinner. These simple-yet-satisfying pasta dishes will be the perfect pick when you’re not looking for a big meal. This fast and easy recipe comes together in a flash. It pairs pillowy gnocchi with broccoli rabe and sausage.
What are some easy dinner ideas?
Canned beans are the pantry all-star in so many easy dinner ideas. Here, they’re cooked with spring alliums in plenty of oil, which makes them taste richly satisfying. Our favorite easy dinner ideas include quick tacos, simple stir-fries, sheet-pan meals, and more recipes to get food on the table fast.