No appetite? Best Nutritional Shakes for Cancer Patients

Your diet is vital as a cancer patient. Most cancer patients choose to adopt a plant- based diet to get the antioxidants and vitamins they need to turbo-charge their recovery. Nutritional supplements are a part of a balanced diet for cancer patients.

Most patients spend their days taking medications and having treatment. Instead of having a nutritional supplement in tablet form, patients have the option to take nutritional protein shakes instead.

We’re rounding up the best nutritional shakes for cancer patients, including protein shakes that anyone can incorporate into their diet.

The Benefits of Protein Shakes for patients with cancer

Staying on top of your diet while undrgoing cancer treatments isn’t easy. Many patients struggle to have 3 balanced meals a day with solid food being a challenge. It makes it difficult for patients to maintain a healthy weight, get the nutrients they need, and eat enough protein to fuel their bodies during treatment.

That’s where meal replacement shakes come in. They’re easier to consume than a full plate of food and contain all the nutrients and vitamins a traditional meal would.

There are several key benefits of protein shakes for patients with cancer.

1. Easy Meal Replacement

Cancer is an illness that isn’t predictable. It often depletes a patient’s energy levels and can make it feel impossible to eat on a regular schedule. Protein shakes are more manageable to drink as a meal replacement. You can purchase specially formulated protein shakes designed to be easy to drink for patients with cancer. Nutritional shakes can also be sold in powder form, allowing you to choose which liquid you mix it with to achieve your desired consistency.

2. Nutrient-Rich Formula

Malnutrition is a genuine concern for most patients with cancer, especially those going through radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The side effects of these treatments can make it difficult to eat meals or stay consistent with your diet.

Patients with cancer want to have an antioxidant and nutrient-rich diet to boost their immune system and improve heart health. This diet is essential to protect the body’s cells from free radicals released during medical treatment, including chemotherapy, and radiation.

Protein shakes for patients with cancer are formulated to be easy to digest and packed full of nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants.

3. Various Flavors

Nausea is one thing that often disrupts patient's diet. It’s not unusual to have certain smells or tastes that instantly put you off your food. Nausea can make it difficult to consume the nutrition within meals or for it to be fully absorbed.

The benefit of nutritional supplements is that they come in a various flavors with the smell also considered. Protein shakes for patients with cancer are formulated to prevent nausea.

Keeping your kitchen stocked with meal replacement shakes means you’ll also know you have food that won’t upset your stomach. Most patients experiment with various nutritional shakes until they find one that doesn’t make them nauseous, and that is pleasant to drink.

What to Look for When Buying Nutritional Shakes for Patients With Cancer

Finding the right nutritional shake for you will usually take some trial and error. Everyone has something different that they might be looking for, depending on where you are in your treatment.

The most important aspects to consider when buying nutritional shakes are the calories per serving size, its protein content, and how many vitamins and minerals are in the formulation. While some people prefer a make-it-yourself powder, most protein shakes are now available as drinks to take on the go.

The Best Protein Shakes for Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatments

We’re sharing 5 options you can choose from when incorporating nutritional shakes into your diet.

1. Homemade Smoothies

Not everyone has the money to spend on expensive nutrient shakes – especially if you’re drinking them every day. The good news is that you can make protein shakes for at home.

These budget-friendly options can be made by mixing your favorite fruits or

vegetables with nut butters, seeds, and your choice of milk. There are millions of smoothie recipes online, whether you prefer a strawberry smoothie or a sweeter flavor.

You want to choose a recipe that focuses on vitamins and minerals by incorporating

healthy fats, such as nuts and seeds. Pinterest is one of the best resources for finding

recipes for nutrient-rich homemade smoothies.

2. Orgain Organic Protein

It’s not unusual to see cancer patients adopt a more plant-based diet or prioritize organic products. While plant-based diets are on the rise, it’s not easy to find a plant-based nutrient supplement. That’s why Orgain Organic Protein is so popular.

Orgain specializes in conveniently healthy food, from snack bars to meal replacement

shakes with natural ingredients to maximize the nutritional value. The brand is passionate about ‘clean nutrition’ with a focus on injecting flavor into organic food. What makes Orgain unique is that it was established by Dr. Andrew Abraham, an integrative medicine specialist, and a cancer survivor. The company was established after Abraham spotted a gap in the market for an all-natural nutritional shake for cancer patients.

Orgain’s protein shakes use high-quality ingredients for clean nutrition and a delicious taste. The Orgain Clean Protein shake drink is only 130 calories with 20g of grass-fed protein and is gluten-free.

You can choose the ‘Perfect Meal’ option for a meal replacement shake with 10g of fiber, 25g of organic plant-based protein, and over 80 superfoods and other nutrients in the formula.

This nutrient supplement is available in chocolate and vanilla with a creamy consistency that won’t make you believe there’s no dairy in it.

3. Fortisip

One of the most popular nutritional shakes for cancer patients is made by Fortisip. These food supplement shakes are formulated in partnership with medical researchers.

While the brand sells meal replacement shakes, its ‘oral nutritional supplement’ is designed for those experiencing long-term chronic diseases and short-term acute illnesses. The formulation is made to prevent malnutrition-related to diseases. Fortsisip’s protein shakes provide the nutrients cancer patients need to repair and grow, including to prevent diet-related illnesses that can occur when suffering from cancer.

These nutritional shakes are easy to drink with 300kcl per bottle and roughly 12g of

protein. It’s ideal to have as a meal replacement or alongside other food for a

nutritious boost. The signature Fortisip formula contains 28 different vitamins and

minerals, including vital components like vitamin C, iron, and calcium.

You can choose from 8 different flavors for Fortisip drinks. There’s something for everyone, from fruit-based flavors like apricot, banana, and strawberry. Prefer something sweeter? Pick up the chocolate, mocha, or vanilla flavors. If you’re suffering from nausea, you can even choose the neutral flavor for minimal taste.

The Fortisip drinks are ideal for those who want to take a nutritious meal on the go. The ready-to-drink formula and specifically designed bottle make it suitable as a snack or as a meal during the day.

4. Ensure

You always want to check if your nutrient supplement is recommended by doctors and dieticians before incorporating it into your diet. Ensure is one of the most popular protein shake brands and home to the No. 1 worldwide oral nutrition supplement.

The brand creates science based-nutrition products for every stage of life. Its products are designed to make you feel stronger in 6 weeks while boosting your strength and immunity. They’re easy to incorporate into your everyday diet with a maximum recommended 6-8 servings per day.

Ensure’s most popular meal replacement drink is the ‘Ensure Plus Nutrition Shake’. The new formula offers 75% more protein, 16g in total, with 350 calories and 27

vitamins and minerals. You can choose between butter pecan, strawberry, vanilla, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate flavors.

5. Resource HP/HC

The rising popularity of protein shakes for cancer patients is why more mainstream brands are entering the market. Nestle Health Science, owned by the Nestle company, produces the Resource HP/HC product range.

The brand’s meal replacement drink contains 320 calories with 20g of protein, one of the highest protein levels on this list. It also contains almost 30 vitamins and minerals, including iron and vitamin D.

Resource HP/HC is one of the more affordable nutritional supplement brands on this list, making it ideal for those experimenting with protein supplements for the first time.

These nutritional shakes are ideal for cancer patients as they’re formulated for those with fluid restrictions or increased protein and energy needs while dealing with acute or chronic conditions. The Resource HP/HC drink is considered a nutritionally complete food for special medical purposes. It’s recommended by doctors and dieticians to enhance your nutritional intake.

Meal Supplement Shakes for Cancer Patients

These protein shakes are a convenient way for cancer patients to incorporate nutritional supplements into their daily diet. If you’re not sure about investing in protein shakes, start by making your own smoothies at home to determine which flavors work best for you.

Protein shakes aren’t just meal supplements. They’re the best way to ensure that you get the vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that you need to get through your treatment journey.