Taste changes
Experiencing a change in taste is common in cancer. This can be due to the disease itself or treatments/medications.
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Many people on chemotherapy can experience a metallic taste or be unable to taste anything. Radiotherapy to the mouth and throat area can also cause taste changes. In many cases, this can take a while to return but in some cases this can be permanent.
Smell and taste go together. If your sense of smell is reduced, your taste will be weakened too. Your sense of smell may also have changed, and you may smell things differently.
What can I do?
If you are getting an unpleasant taste or have lost most of your taste, you might not enjoy eating some foods or meals. However, it’s very important to keep eating enough so that your body has the energy and nutrients it needs to support you through your treatment and minimise weight loss.
By following the steps below, you can discover what taste, smells and textures of food you like.
To add a strong or fresh taste
- Vinegar, lemon, lime, yoghurt, fresh fruit
- Spring onion, celery, celeriac, bell pepper, parsnip, tomato, onion, fennel
- Chutney, candied ginger, mustard, piccalilli, wasabi
- Spicy sauces, such as chilli sauce and hot sauce
- Spicy seasoned foods, such as spicy seasoned nuts or seeds
- Sweet and sour pickles and onions
- Fruit compote
Add something crispy
- Croutons
- (Chopped) nuts
- Pieces of cucumber
Add fresh herbs and spices with a strong taste
Basil, cayenne pepper, chilli pepper, dill, tarragon, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, curry, garlic, coriander, cloves, bay leaves, mint, nutmeg, rosemary, celery, star anise, thyme, fresh pepper, white pepper
Try something new
- Baking or grilling (instead of boiling) gives more flavour
- Piccalilli or chutney with your meals
- Desserts, cereals and porridge with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, or nutmeg
- Cranberry sauce, apple sauce or fruit chutney with meals
- Marinate meat or meat substitutes in, for example, fruit juice with vinegar or soy sauce
- Grilling vegetables with fresh herbs
Add sweet flavours to your meal
- White or brown sugar, jam, honey, syrup (all kinds)
- Milk or cream sauce or butter with vegetables
- Fresh fruit, dried fruit (raisins, apricots, apple)
- Fruit compotes, such as apple, pear, or cranberry compote
- Chutney, sweet soy sauce, ginger syrup, sweet satay sauce
Add fresh herbs and spices with a strong taste
- Basil
- Dill
- Cardamom
- Cumin
Try the following foods
- Pumpkin
- Red pepper
- Onion
- Carrot
- Sweet potato
- Sweet fizzy drinks
- Dried fruits
- Cooked pear
- Apple compote
Add sour flavours to your meal
- Lemon, lime
- Crème fraiche, sour cream, yoghurt
- Salad dressing with olive oil, vinegar, wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar, salt, pepper, vinegar, gherkins, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, mustard, capers, lime, silverskin pickled onions, ketchup, sour wine sauce, piccalilli
Add fresh herbs
- Lemon
- Dill
- Parsley
Try the following foods
- Endives
- Purslane
- Tomato
- Sauerkraut
- Berries
- Raw vegetables
- Aged cheese
- Sour drinks, such as buttermilk, lemonade, and bitter lemon
(If you are on a low salt diet due to medical conditions, following these tips is not recommended.)
Add salty flavours to your meal
- Salted or smoked fish, chicken, or meat
- Smoked salmon
- Marmite
- Teriyaki, tamari, (aged) cheese sauces
- Samphire
- Salt / sea salt
- Soy sauce
- Mustard
- Sardines, and other canned fish
Add fresh herbs
- Parsley
- Chives
- Cardamom
Try the following foods
- Soup
- Stew
- Salad with smoked chicken or fish
Add bitter flavours to your meal
- Marmalade
- Pickles
- Mustard
- Capers
- Spring onions
- Crème fraiche
- Yoghurt
- Dressing with vinegar, tarragon vinegar, lemon, wine vinegar, (aged) cheese, blue cheese
Add fresh herbs and spices with a strong taste
- Coriander
- Turmeric
- Curcumin
- Galangal
- Basil
- Celery
- Dill
- Green herbs
- Cumin
- Bay leaves
Add umami flavours to your meal
- Balsamic vinegar
- Tomato / tomato ketchup
- Butter
- Broth
- Ginger (fresh, or paste)
- Dried onion
- Aged cheese / parmesan cheese
- Pine nuts
- Red onion
- Fish sauce
- Anchovies
Add fresh herbs and spices with a strong taste
- Basil
- Dill
- Coriander
- Ginger
- Cardamom
- Parsley
- Shrimp paste
Try the following foods
- Nasi goreng (Indonesian stir fried rice)
- Bami goreng (Indonesian stir fried noodles)e
Use neutral or bland flavours
- Mashed potatoes
- Prepare vegetables that have a stronger taste in a white sauce, eggs, fruits, honey, neutral dairy products: milk, cream, porridge, young cheese, processed cheese
- Neutral grain products: bread, rice, pasta
- Salads, carrots, pease
Check the temperature of your meals
- Hot/warm dishes have a stronger taste than cold dishes
- Try out the temperature at which food tastes best for you
The temperature of your food
Cold food has a weaker smell. Do not eat hot food, choose food that is lukewarm or at room temperature. Choose cold dishes and drinks
Try the following foods
- Fruit and vegetable smoothie
- Frozen yoghurt
- Cold soup such as gazpacho
- Cold meals or (pasta) salad
Add flavours to your meal
- Grated carrot
- Honey
Add fresh herbs and spices
- Basil
- Cinnamon
- Oregano
- Pepper
- Thyme
Try the following
- Cold meals
- The bad taste in your mouth might be caused by a dry mouth. Good oral hygiene and rinsing or drinking before eating to wash away the taste can help to improve the taste.
- Try using wood, bamboo or plastic instead of metal cutlery
It’s a generic bad taste, cardboard box taste, bitter taste
Add fresh, sour and fruit flavours to your meal
- Fresh and sour flavours, such as pickles, fresh fruit, yoghurt, silverskin onions
- Strong flavours, such as basil, lemon, peppermint, sweet and sour sauces
- Fruit flavours, such as cranberry sauce, apple sauce, and fruit chutney
- Savoury flavours can also help, such as anchovies, mustard, salt
To reduce a bitter taste
- Garlic
- Coriander
- Cream
- Watercress
Try the following foods
- Add lemon or cucumber to water
- Herring and beetroot salad
- Combine meat or meat substitutes with something fresh such as cranberry sauce, apple sauce or fruit chutney or marinate in for example fruit juice with vinegar
- Yoghurt with fruit
(A bad taste can also result from a dry mouth. Good oral hygiene and rinsing or drinking before eating to wash away the taste can help to improve the taste)
Recipes for people living with cancer
If you’re dealing with taste changes as a result of cancer and its treatment, you may be interested in our recipe guides that are written for people living with cancer. They’re created by the chef Ryan Riley.
Order a free Ryan Riley recipe booklet
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