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Patients who are receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy may experience changes in taste and smell, which can make eating difficult.
Many cancer organizations share their tips on how to reduce metallic tastes during cancer treatment. We’ve curated a list of all the best tips. Oh, and you can submit your tips or add comments to tips submitted by others.
#1 Avoid eating for 1-2 hours before chemotherapy
"Avoid eating for 1-2 hours before chemotherapy and 3 hours afterward. It is common to develop a taste aversion to foods eaten during this time, so it is particularly important to avoid your favorite foods." - source: cancerconnect.com
#2 Your Taste Changes Toolkit for During and After Cancer Treatment
"In this interactive video, select the taste change you are experiencing to get specific food and lifestyle tips to help you manage them. Christy Brissette, Registered Dietitian at ELLICSR Health, Wellness and Cancer Survivorship Centre at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, provides practical information on what to do when food tastes too metallic, bitter, sweet or salty, or when food is bland or has no taste." - source: ELLICSR Kitchen / Youtube
#3 Try eating with plastic utensils
"Use plastic utensils if food tastes like metal." - source: chemocare.com
#4 Rinse your mouth
"Rinse your mouth with a baking soda, salt, and water mouthwash before eating to help foods taste better. (Mix 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda in 4 cups of water. Shake well before swishing and spitting." - source: cancer.org
#5 Clear your taste buds
"Before eating, try rinsing your mouth with beverages like tea, ginger ale, salted water, or water with baking soda. Then, try chewing on lemon drops, mints, or gum to eliminate any lingering “off-tastes” after meals." - source: dana-farber.org
#6 Ask your nurse for a hard candy
"Suck on hard candy to lessen the metallic taste. If it happens while you’re getting chemotherapy, ask your nurse for a hard candy." - source: mskcc.org
"Sucking on lemon drops. Try to overpower the metallic taste by sucking on lemon drops; mints, or chewing strong flavored gum." - source: oncolink.org
#7 Try other sources of protein
"If your food preferences affect the quality of your diet, look for alternatives. For example, it is common to no longer enjoy meat during treatment. However, meat is a good source of protein, which is an important nutrient to enable your body to cope with the demands of cancer and treatment. If you find meat less appealing, try other good protein sources such as cheese, eggs, nuts, dairy foods, baked beans, kidney beans, lentils or chickpeas." - source: cancercouncil.com.au
#8 Try peeled, sweet baby carrots
"Try peeled, sweet baby carrots instead of large unpeeled carrots, which often taste extremely bitter."
"Eat fresh vegetables. They may be more appealing to you than canned or frozen ones. Canned soups and vegetables may have a metallic taste." - source: breastcancer.org
#9 Maximize protein intake
#10 Season foods with tart flavors
"Use lemon wedges, lemonade, citrus fruits, vinegar, and pickled foods. (If you have a sore mouth or throat, do not do this.)" - source: cancer.org
#11 Try foods
"Bland foods, such as eggs, cheese, cooked cereal, puddings, toast, rice and cream soups."
"Cold foods, such as cheese, milkshakes, cold cuts, tuna or egg salad."
"Salty foods, like pizza, hot dogs, sausage, chilli, spaghetti sauce and ketchup."
"Foods with strong flavours, such as bacon, pizza, barbecued chicken or other barbecued or charcoal-grilled foods." - source: cancer.ca
#12 Herbs and spices
"Stock up on things like paprika and coriander and you’ll be able to spice up your life even on chemo. Just remember who else is eating with you (although it is entertaining to watch someone fanning their mouth while you’re trying to find some flavour)." - source: breastcancercare.org.uk
#13 Tips while on chemo how to improve taste of food
"Food tasting bad while on chemo" - source: Tammie Clarke / Youtube
#14 Marinate meats
#15 Try munching on some pineapple
#16 The best thing that worked for me is coconut water
"I get metallic taste after my treatment. The best thing that worked for me is coconut water. Try to get the one with no added sugar. It is available at Freshneasy and Sprouts. I have seen it at regular grocery store. I start drinking the coconut water two days before my treatment and continue for couple more days after my treatment. This helps me a lot and I do not get tired. I hope this helps you." (1Little_M) - source: inspire.com
#17 Suck on ice chips
"Suck on ice chips in between bites to help numb taste buds." - source: breastcancer.org
#18 Keep your mouth clean
#19 Herbal teas or ginger ale
"Drink plenty of liquids. Use fruits or herbs to flavor water. Consider trying decaffeinated herbal teas or ginger ale." - source: mdanderson.org
#20 TASTE BUDS & CHEMOTHERAPY
"WHAT TO TRY:
- Lemons !
- Grapefruit
- Strawberries !
- Sour cream / cream cheese
- Hummus
- Salt ’N' vinegar chips
- Lime with soda water
- Black coffee
- Guinness beer
- Hot sauce
* Try liquids and hot sauce last because it washes out the effect of the berry" - source: sgoodz / Youtube
#21 Don’t force yourself to eat foods
"Eat foods that you enjoy and ignore those that do not appeal to you. But try them again after a few weeks, as your sense of taste may have changed." - source: macmillan.org.uk
"Don't force yourself to eat foods that taste bad to you. Find substitutes that you can tolerate." - source: breastcancer.org
#22 Try sharp tasting fizzy drinks
"Sharp tasting fizzy drinks such as lemonade or ginger beer are refreshing." - source: cancerresearchuk.org
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