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Getting enough food, fluids, and key nutrients, is important for the growth and development of any child. It’s even more important for children facing cancer. Appetite and eating problems are common for people going through cancer treatment. Your care team may use different methods to make sure your child gets the nutrition they need during treatment.

Why is nutrition important?

Nutrients are the key parts of food and drinks that the body needs to function. Important nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients give the body energy, which is measured in calories.

Benefits of good nutrition

Nutrition can affect treatment side effects and risks, such as infections, so it may impact your child’s treatment outcome. Eating the right foods during and after cancer treatment can help your child:  

• Feel better and happier
• Have more energy to move and play
• Get to and stay at a healthy weight
• Tolerate cancer treatment
• Lower their risk of infection
• Heal and recover faster

Learn more about nutrition during and after cancer treatment.

Risks of poor nutrition

Poor nutrition (malnutrition) happens when the body doesn’t get enough nutrients from food to support growth, development, and healing. Most children with cancer will have some nutrition concerns during treatment.

Malnutrition can lead to:

• Worse side effects
• Treatment delays
• Increased risk of infections
• Low energy
• Slowed or delayed growth and development
• Weak bones and loss of muscle
• Decreased quality of life

What nutrition problems can happen during cancer treatment?

The same kinds of challenges with eating and nutrition that adults can have during cancer treatment can also affect children. The specific side effects your child has may depend on the type of cancer and the treatments they get.

Changes in appetite, taste, and digestion

• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Changes in smell or taste
• Dehydration and loss of fluids
• Diarrhea or other problems absorbing nutrients in the gut
• Weight changes

Side effects that affect eating and drinking

• Mouth sores or mucositis
• Dry mouth or thick saliva
• Trouble swallowing

Learn more about how to manage eating and drinking problems caused by cancer treatment.

What are the signs of malnutrition?

Common signs of malnutrition in children include:

Physical changes

• Weight loss or slow weight gain
• Not growing or getting taller
• Weakness from muscle loss
• Changes to the skin, hair, or nails
• Changes in lab tests such as electrolytes or albumin

Energy and behavior changes

• Low energy
• Having no interest in eating or drinking
• Sleeping more than usual

The cancer care team will regularly ask about how your child is eating and check their weight to watch for gains or losses. They will also do lab tests to be sure your child is getting enough of the right nutrients.

How can I help my child get the nutrients they need?

If your child is not getting enough nutrients, the cancer care team might recommend supplements such as protein drinks or vitamins. A few changes can also help:

Change what and when they eat

• Encourage snacks and meals during the day instead of 3 large meals.
• Choose mostly high-protein and high-calorie foods and drinks such as smoothies, shakes, peanut butter and crackers, cheese sticks, pudding, fortified cereal, and whole milk.
• Try to feed your child their biggest meal when they are most hungry. If they have a big appetite in the morning, offer their biggest meal at breakfast.

Manage symptoms that affect eating

• If your child has mouth sores that make it hard to eat, try cold or soft foods, or try high-calorie drinks such as shakes and smoothies.
• Your child may have more nausea around chemotherapy treatments. Try giving nausea meds before a meal.

Make eating more appealing

• Let your child help plan or prepare their snacks and meals.
• Invite your child’s friends to eat together.
• Encourage physical activity and play to increase their appetite.

What if my child can’t get enough nutrients?

It’s common for children to eat less when they’re going through cancer treatment. Many cancer treatments can affect appetite and cause other symptoms like nausea. Not getting enough nutrients can make side effects of cancer treatment worse and make your child very weak.

Why is eating well after cancer treatment important?

Most eating and drinking problems improve after cancer treatment ends. As your child starts to feel better, encourage good eating habits to help them stay healthy.

Eating well after treatment can help your child rebuild strength, have more energy, and get back to a more normal life. Healthy eating can also help prevent health problems in the future, such as heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Survivors of childhood cancers are at a higher risk for health problems later in life compared to other children.

Learn more about eating well after treatment in Nutrition During and After Cancer Treatment.

Where can I find help getting food for my child?

Having cancer is expensive. Research shows that many people with cancer and their families struggle to pay for daily needs. If you are having trouble buying food for your child and family, there are resources available.

• The provides food benefits for women who make less than a certain amount of income, are pregnant or were recently pregnant. It is also for infants and children up to age 5. It is offered in all 50 states and through Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities.
• The provides food benefits to families with lower incomes.
• The provides free or low-cost breakfast at school for children from families with lower incomes.
• The provides free or low-cost lunch at school for children from families with lower incomes.
• The provides free meals and snacks to children 18 years and younger at Summer Meals Sites.
• The from Hunger Free America helps people find food assistance resources in their communities. They can be reached Monday through Friday between 7am and 10pm ET at:
  1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) (for English)
  1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) (for Spanish)