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3 Smoothies To Try While on Chemo

Medically reviewed by Kathryn Shohara, MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC
Written by Emily Brown
Posted on July 31, 2024

Are you on chemo and know you need to eat but don’t want to? When you’re going through chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, side effects like appetite changes, mouth sores, and nausea and vomiting can make eating unpleasant. But it’s very important to get proper nutrition to support your body during ovarian cancer treatment. Eating small, more frequent meals may help with some of these treatment side effects. Sipping liquid meals or milkshakes can nourish you when you don’t want to eat because of loss of appetite.

Smoothies offer a simple way to get nutrients in your body while being easy on your mouth and stomach. Below are three healthy smoothies to try while on chemo to keep up your strength and nutrition throughout treatment.

1. Protein Booster

This Yogurt Protein Smoothie from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is packed with protein-forward ingredients and flavorful fruit. Making sure your smoothie has protein is important to not only strengthen your body but also keep blood sugar levels in check. Adding your favorite protein powder, like whey or soy isolate, to the mix is an easy way to make sure your body gets the protein it needs — look for a product that provides 14 to 21 grams of protein per serving.

This recipe also gets a nutritional boost from wheat germ, the nutrient-dense part of wheat. Wheat germ is considered a good source of zinc, phosphorus, folate, and magnesium and an excellent source of thiamin.

Yogurt Protein Smoothie

Servings: 1

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chocolate or vanilla soy milk (or other milk)
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 scoop protein powder of your choice
  • 1 tablespoon wheat germ
  • ¾ cup fresh or frozen fruit, such as berries, cherries, or cut-up mango or melon
  • ½ fresh or frozen banana

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth.

Recipe Note

You can choose your favorite fruits to make a flavor combination to your liking and add ice before blending to get a thicker consistency.

2. Tropical Treat

The American Cancer Society’s Papaya and Almond Smoothie has a tropical flair and nutty flavor. A yogurt and milk base provides not only lots of protein and calcium but creaminess too. Honey or agave make this smoothie a sweet treat, but you can leave that ingredient out if you’d like. Chopped almonds are also optional but provide even more nutrition and a little crunch. Freeze leftover portions so you have a delicious smoothie ready to go whenever you need it.

Papaya and Almond Smoothie

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fat-free or 1 percent milk
  • 1 cup plain or vanilla nonfat yogurt
  • 1 cup chopped papaya
  • cup fresh or frozen chopped strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
  • 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons chopped almonds, for topping (optional)

Instructions

Place all the ingredients except the chopped almonds in a blender. Process until smooth. Sprinkle with chopped almonds, if desired.

Recipe Notes

  • Replace the papaya with peach or melon for variety.
  • Use whole almonds instead of slivered, and blend the smoothie a little bit longer.
  • Use Greek yogurt or cottage cheese instead of regular yogurt to boost your protein intake even more.

3. Fast Fix

When you want something extra quick and simple, try this Raspberry-Peach Yogurt Smoothie from the American Cancer Society. The few ingredients supply you with two whole servings of fruit and a dose of calcium from the yogurt. Plus, the raspberries are a good source of vitamin C to support your immune system. Fruity, nutritious, and refreshing, this smoothie is perfect if you want to keep prep time to a minimum.

Raspberry-Peach Yogurt Smoothie

Servings: 1

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup apple juice
  • 6 ounces nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt
  • 1 cup frozen raspberries
  • 1 cup frozen peaches

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth.

Recipe Note

If you prefer a sweeter smoothie but have only plain yogurt, which makes a tarter version, add a teaspoon of honey.

Make a Smoothie That Appeals to You

When you’re dealing with appetite loss, it’s important to listen to your body but still make sure you get proper nutrition and maintain your weight. After trying these three smoothie recipes, use them as inspiration to make variations to help you get easy nutrients. You can experiment with different ingredients to build a smoothie based on what your body needs and what sounds good to you.

Talk to your health care provider or oncology team to learn which nutrients in particular you need.

Talk With People Who Understand

On MyOvarianCancerTeam, the social network for people with ovarian cancer and their loved ones, more than 6,700 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their experiences with others who understand life with ovarian cancer.

Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe when you’re going through chemo? What ingredients make you feel best? Share your story in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.

Posted on July 31, 2024
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Kathryn Shohara, MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC is a clinical dietitian for adults at Baylor Scott & White Hospitals. Learn more about her here.
Emily Brown is a freelance writer and editor, specializing in health communication and public health. Learn more about her here.

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