Prehab Nutrition

Healthy eating advice:

• Try to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day. One portion is equal to one handful or 80g.
• Pick wholegrain carbohydrates, like wholemeal bread, oats or wholegrain cereal when you can.
• Try to eat fish twice a week, with at least one portion of oily fish like salmon or sardines.
• Try to have plant proteins often, like beans, lentils, nuts, or tofu.
• Try not to eat too many processed or red meats like bacon, sausages, or burgers. Chicken, fish, eggs and dairy are healthier choices.
• Avoid sugary drinks. Water and milk are the best options.

Protein is really important before and during cancer treatment. It helps keep your muscles strong, helps your body heal, and supports your immune system to fight off infections. You need more protein than you normally would during this time. A simple way to get enough is to eat protein at every meal, like meat, fish, eggs, beans, or dairy.

Examples of high protein food:

• Meat, fish, poultry
• Eggs
• Milk, yoghurt, or cheese
• Beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu
• High-protein yoghurts, bars, puddings, and shakes
• Nuts and seeds

When weight loss or appetite is a problem

You can tell if you are eating enough by weighing yourself weekly. If you are losing weight without trying, you are likely not eating enough calories (energy). This also means you are likely not eating enough protein, vitamins and minerals. This is called ‘malnutrition’.

If you are losing weight, eating less than usual or have poor appetite you should try to boost your calorie and protein intake. This might mean you need to relax some of ‘healthy eating’ advice.

Examples of high - calorie foods:

• Fortified milk  - Fortified milk is whole milk with extra skimmed milk powder added. You can make this at home by adding 4tbsp skimmed milk powder into 1 pint of whole milk. Keep this in the fridge and use it in tea,coffee, on cereal and in cooking over the next 24hrs.
• Cheese, cream, butter, and oils – add these when cooking or as a ‘topping’
• Nuts, nut butters – add these when cooking or as a topping
• Avocado
• Cakes, biscuits, flapjacks, chocolate

You can find more advice in the Macmillan ‘Building up diet’ booklet and British Dietetic Association website.

Example daily diets:

In Summary

• If your weight is stable, eat a healthy balanced diet with plenty of protein if you can.

• If your appetite is reduced or you are losing weight without trying, focus on higher-calorie and higher-protein food choices to maintain weight and strength.
• If your body mass index (BMI) is below 20kg/m², you may benefit from healthy weight gain – speak with your healthcare team for support. BMI calculator link.
• Some people may be advised to lose weight before surgery – follow your team’s individual advice. If you need to lose weight before surgery, try to make sure you still eat all food groups, with a focus on high protein intake.

Nutrition and exercise together

Daily movement, particularly strength-based exercise, helps maintain or build muscle during treatment. When combined with enough protein and calories, exercise supports recovery and resilience.