Gaining Weight

Weight loss is a common side effect of cancer treatment. Weight loss during treatment can make it harder for you to recover during and after your treatment. Gaining weight can be a slow process as your body uses lots of energy to recover from treatment. Be consistent with your food intake. talk with your team or Dietitian if you're having trouble gaining weight

Watch our gaining weight video for some tips on how to put weight back on

Key dietary strategies to assist with gaining weight:

Eat regular meals and snacks – try not to skip meals.
Eat foods that contain higher amounts of energy or protein (see overleaf for examples). Stock up on convenient snacks and meals to increase the likelihood of eating.
Include nutrition as part of your exercise regimen – this will help your body to recover and replace the calories you have burned.

Who can help?

Dietitian
Treating Doctor
Nurse

Include high energy or high protein foods in your meals to add extra nourishment to your diet

Higher energy foods

Fats and oils
Cream
Avocado and olives
Carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread, biscuits, potato, sweet drinks
Chia seed
Nut butters e.g. peanut butter
LSA

Higher protein foods

Cows milk and foods made from milk such as cheese, yoghurt, custard
Meat
Chicken
Fish, seafood
Eggs
Soy milk, tofu
Nuts and seeds
Legumes and lentils

High protein snack ideas

Crackers or bread with nut butters or cheese
Greek yoghurt with nuts and honey
Boiled eggs and cheese on crackers
Trail mix
Hummus with vegetable sticks
Smoothie or protein shake