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daily walks or other more strenuous exercise. Being active and eating well are helpful
components of a quicker, trouble free recovery.

If you are able to swallow normal food:
Throughout pre-operative treatment such as Chemotherapy and or Radiotherapy, aim to carry on
with your normal routine as best you can. Enjoy your food! Choose the foods you especially like,
because Chemotherapy has a tendency to reduce appetite and change the taste of some foods. At
this stage, do not worry about a ‘slimline’ or low fat - low carbohydrate diet. Try to maintain or
slightly increase your weight by eating what you really like. It might feel counter-intuitive to eat
whatever you like, including full fat, high protein foods with carbohydrates, but this is only a short-
term phase, just a matter of a few weeks during treatment that can otherwise cause considerable
weight loss. Recovery will be a little easier in the long run if you are better prepared for it now.

If you have difficulty swallowing food:
Do not panic! Stay calm, because there are solutions to help you get through this difficult time.
Follow the advice of your Consultant and Dietician. Whether liquid food is temporarily needed
through a feeding tube or soft foods taken orally, in the majority of cases it is a temporary phase,
lasting typically only a few weeks. Standard treatments such as Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy
work well to reduce tumour size, in the majority of cases dramatically improving swallowing in a
matter of only a few weeks.
If you need to be on a liquid-only diet, you should be under the care of your dietitian. For most
people on a liquid diet, the goal is to have between 1,350 to 1,500 calories a day including 45 grams
of protein. If swallowing liquid food is difficult, a temporary ‘feeding tube’ may need to be surgically
inserted to achieve sufficient nourishment. If this is necessary, your Consultant in charge and
Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) will arrange it for you. In these circumstances the medical team
will supply all liquid feeds to be taken at home, with guidance and support to make sure it works
well.

Pureed foods are simple to make at home or a wide variety can be purchased online through
specialist suppliers. Pureed foods have a smooth consistency best achieved using a blender. Fork
mashable foods are those that can easily be broken down with the back of a fork, meaning they are
easier to chew and swallow.

Being on a pureed or fork mashable diet can after a while feel monotonous, but it is important to be
persistent, choose a variety of flavours from fresh produce that you like, season it well and establish
a routine that suits you best. Making up batches of different meals once a week for the freezer is a
convenient and cost-effective way to plan ahead. But whatever you do, stay positive and opt for
nourishing foods that taste good, which are high in protein, fats and carbohydrates.
Here are a few ideas to help develop mealtime options that could suit you:

Drinks:

• Tap or bottled water, if possible filtered to reduce impurities
• Full cream milk, organic unsweetened oat or almond milk
• Tea and coffee, made as you like
• No added sugar fresh fruit juices
• Natural fresh fruit milkshakes or smoothies, ideally home made from fresh produce
• As discussed with your dietician: 'Build-Up', 'Complan' or 'Recovery' drinks and nutritional
supplements available from chemists/supermarkets,
• Alcohol is Ok - medication permitted / in moderation (6-9pm!)
• Avoid or drink fewer sweetened fizzy drinks