Eats and Treats
Your diet is an important part of your recovery. Eating the right kinds of foods can help you stay strong and heal faster. Getting enough nutrients is also important because kids your age are often going through a growth spurt. If the side effects of your treatment have caused your appetite to shrink, try these ten taste-tempting tips.
1 Eat when you’re hungry, even if it’s not mealtime. If a certain meal, like breakfast, appeals to you more than others, make it the largest meal of the day.
2 Eat even if you don’t feel like eating, and even if you’re on IV nutrition. Your stomach may have shrunk during your transplant. You need to stretch it out and teach your body to eat again.
3 When you do eat, pick protein-rich foods like cheese, yogurt, fish, and eggs, which help the body repair itself. To keep your weight up, choose foods and drinks high in calories. (Give nutritional supplement shakes like Ensure a try.)
4 On days when you have a larger appetite, eat more to make up for days you ate less.
5 Vary what you eat. Try new foods and recipes—things you never liked before may taste good now. Ask your dietician for a list of good foods and recipes to try.
6 When you don’t have an appetite for solid foods, try cool liquids. Your body needs water to function properly, so drinking fluids like shakes, fruit juices, sports drinks, or popsicles will help your body get the water it needs. Here’s a delicious, nutritious shake to try:
Berry Fluff
• 1/2 cup frozen yogurt, berry-flavored
• 2 ounces cranberry juice
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ Combine ingredients and blend.
"Iced tea and mandarin oranges were foods I could eat best."
Age 13, 2 years after transplant