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Stanford Health Care

Nutrition Services for Cancer Patients

Stanford Medicine Cancer Center

Nutrition Services for Cancer Patients

Nutrition is an important part of life, cancer treatment, recovery, and prevention. Food is one of the few things you can be in control of during your treatment. The oncology certified registered dietitians at the Stanford Cancer Center are here to help you make informed choices about nutrition, answer your nutrition-related questions, and help you to achieve and maintain good health.

Services Available at These Locations (2)
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Care and Treatment

Clear Liquids and Full Liquids

If you experience nutritional side effects during your cancer treatment, you will need to consider the different kinds of liquids that you may use for nourishment, to quench your thirst, or settle your stomach. Clear liquids are helpful for many of the side effects of cancer. Generally speaking, clear liquids are liquids that are easy to see through and to pour. A clear liquid diet is not nutritionally adequate and should only be followed for a short period of time to help control symptoms from cancer treatment side effects. If you are experiencing symptoms that will not allow you to consume anything more than clear liquids, talk to your physician or registered dietitian for recommendations. Full liquids have more calories, protein, and nutrients so they can be used to help meet your daily calorie and protein requirements. Full liquids include those that are easy to pour and/or can be sucked through a straw. Some liquids are considered both clear and full.

Examples of clear liquids

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) provides the following list of clear liquids:

  • Bouillon
  • Clear, fat-free broth
  • Clear carbonated beverages
  • Consommé
  • Apple/cranberry/grape juice
  • Fruit ices without fruit pieces
  • Fruit ices without milk
  • Fruit punch
  • Honey
  • Jelly
  • Plain gelatin dessert
  • Popsicles®
  • Sports drinks
  • Strained citrus juice
  • Strained lemonade/limeade
  • Strained vegetable broth
  • Tea
  • Water

Examples of full liquids

Full liquids include the following:

  • All fruit juices and nectar
  • Ice milk
  • Small amounts of strained meat – thinned
  • Butter/cream/oil/margarine
  • Carbonated beverages
  • Cheese soup
  • Coffee/tea
  • Fresh or frozen plain yogurt
  • Fruit drinks
  • Fruit punch
  • Honey/jelly/syrup
  • Liquid supplements
  • Milk, all types
  • Milkshake
  • Pasteurized eggnog
  • Plain cornstarch pudding
  • Plain gelatin desserts
  • Potatoes pureed in soup
  • Refined/strained cooked cereal in broth or gelatin
  • Smooth ice cream
  • Soft or baked custard
  • Strained lemonade/limeade
  • Strained or blenderized soup
  • Thin fruit purees
  • Tomato juice
  • Tomato puree for cream soup
  • Vegetable juice

Recipes

Cancer Fighting Recipe of the Week: Week 3

In honor of Colon Cancer Awareness month, we'll be featuring four colorectal cancer friendly recipes each week during the month of March.

Basil Broccoi

Broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, kale, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are all cruciferous vegetables. This vegetable family contains powerful phytochemicals, including carotenoids, indoles and glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, which have been studied and shown to slow the growth of many cancers.

Get the recipe
Breakfast Recipes

Apple Muffins

Baked Oatmeal

Banana Bran Muffins

Banana-Oatmeal Hot Cakes

Multigrain Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce

Orange Bran Flax Muffins

Spring Vegetable Frittata

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Appetizer Recipes

Pesto Toastini

Fiesta Quesadillas with Black Beans

Skewered Shrimp, Chicken and Pineapple with Honey Orange Dipping Sauce

Stuffed Mushrooms & Jalapeño Cornbread

Zucchini Bites

Soup and Salad Recipes

Asparagus and Scallion Soup with Almonds

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Broccoli Sunflower Salad

Butternut Squash Soup

California Citrus Greens Salad with Garlic Dressing

Carrot and Apple Soup

Creamy Irish Soup

Crunchy Chicken Salad

Curried Chicken Salad

Curried Chickpea Salad with Walnuts

Easy Pea Soup with Tarragon

Egyptian Red Lentil Soup

Fall Stew in a Pumpkin with Poblano-Cucumber Salsa

Golden Fruit Salad

Hawaiian Star Soup

Hearty Vegetable and Brown Rice Soup

Hot and Sour Soup

Lentil Sweet Potato Soup

Marinated Artichoke Potato Salad

Melon Salad

Minty Cucumber-Quinoa-Grape Salad

Mulligatawny Soup

Papaya, Chicken and Pecan Salad

Pluot Summer Salad

Pomegranate Salad

Pumpkin Bisque

Roasted Asparagus Salad

Salmon Salad with Pimento and Herbs

Shredded Carrot and Beet Salad

Spicy Black Bean Salad

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

Spinach, Red Bell Pepper and Feta Cheese Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Spring Pea Soup

Summer Rice Salad

Sweet and Spicy Carrot Salad

Vegetable Soup

Whole Grain Salad

Main Course and Entrée Recipes

10 Minute Italian Chicken Stir Fry

Anytime Burrito

Baked Tofu Kabobs

Barley, Turkey & Butternut Squash Casserole

Bean and Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

Bean Surprise

Broiled Portobello Mushrooms

Cajun Salmon over Polenta

Chicken Chili

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Cranberry Salmon

Cranberry-Turkey Salad Sandwiches

Crispy Parmesan Turkey Cutlets

Crunchy Veggie Wrap

Easy Spinach Lasagna

Eating Well Sloppy Joe

Egg, Spinach, and Bacon Sandwiches

Fish Filet with Squash and Herbs

Greek-Style Scallops

Grilled Ginger Tuna

Grilled Halibut with a Tomato-Herb Sauce

Grilled Portobello Burgers

Grilled Vegetable Polenta with Pan Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce

Halibut with Citrus and Garlic

Healthy Jambalaya

Hearty Beef Stew with Winter Vegetables

Hearty Mediterranean Stew

Herbed Polenta with Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Indonesian Salmon

Lasagna Rolls

Lemon Dijon Salmon

Mediterranean Grilled Veggie Pockets

Molasses-Cured Pork Loin with Apples

Mushroom Goulash

New American Plate "Tetrazzini" Casserole

New Tuna Salad

Peppers Stuffed with Barley, Parmesan and Onion

Pizza Meat Loaf

Pumpkin Gnocchi

Quinoa and Mushroom Pilaf with Dill

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Maple Mustard Sauce

Scallion Crusted Arctic Char

Seared Scallops with Beet Puree and Arugula Salad

Soft Tacos with Southwestern Vegetables

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Speedy Summer Ratatouille

Spicy Broccoli, Cauliflower and Tofu

Steamed Halibut on Spinach with Lemon Sauce

Stuffed Cornish Hens

Summer Tofu Kebab with Peanut Sauce

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Tofu

Tofu Cutlets Marsala

Turkey & Cranberry Wrap

Turkey Reuben Grilled Sandwiches

Udon Noodles with Spicy Peanut Ginger Sauce

Veggie Pita Pizzas

White Wine Coq au Vin

Whole Wheat Pasta with Fennel, Peas and Arugula

Zesty Roasted Chicken

Side Dish Recipes

Asian Green Bean Stir-Fry

Asian Pilaf

Avocado and Mango Salsa

Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

Bok Choy with Sautéed Mushrooms and Shallots

Braised Kale with Black Beans and Tomatoes

Broccoli with Hazelnuts

Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Dried Cranberries

Butternut Squash Pilaf

Garlicky Greens

Honey-Roasted Parsnips, Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Lite Hummus Dip

Parmesan Orzo Primavera

Peas-Mushroom Pilaf

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Autumn Vegetables

Seasoned Spinach with Garlic

Simply Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Spring Barley

Stir-Fried Kale with Slivered Carrots

Summer Gazpacho

Sweet Potato Power

Tofu Fried Rice

Winter Caponata

Dessert Recipes

Apple Cranberry Cobbler

Apple Crisp

Apple-Cranberry Crisp

Baked Summer Fruit

Better Brownies

Blueberry Crumble Pie

Cranberry-Orange Fruit Bars

Crunchy Oat Apricot Bars

Fresh Berry Sundaes

Fudge Brownie Sundaes

Ginger Spice Biscotti

Grilled Fruit with Strawberry Dip

Grilled Peaches with Honey and Yogurt

Harvest Apples

Lemon Cake

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

Melon Sorbet

Pear Crisp

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Mousse

Raspberry Cinnamon Sorbet

Rhubarb-Strawberry Parfaits

Sliced Oranges with Almonds and Ginger

Summer Fruit Gratin

Warm Chocolate Fantasy

Yogurt Berry Brûlée with Maple Almond Brittle

Shakes and Beverage Recipes

Apple Pumpkin Shake

Avocado and Melon Smoothie

Banana Cinnamon Vanilla Shake

Berry Blast Protein Shake

Cinnamint Green Tea

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate

Eggnog

Green Tea Slush

High Calorie Recipe: Cinnamon-Peach Smoothie

High Calorie Recipe: Super Protein Power Smoothie

Hot and Healthy Winter Teas

Juicing Recipes

Peach Apricot Dessert Smoothie

Sour Citrus Blast Smoothie

Spiced Brazilian Mocha

Tips for Making Smoothies and Shakes

High-Calorie Snack Recipes

High-Calorie Snack Recipes

High-Calorie Beverage Recipes

High-Calorie Snack Recipes

For Patients

PREPARE FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT

  • Bring your photo ID and Insurance Card
  • Maps, directions, parking, public transit options, and contact information

Ask your physician for a REFERRAL for a Cancer Center Nutrition Appointment

Our dietitians are available for 45 minute consults by appointment only, Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Download our nutrition appointment flyer.

Questions about your appointment or need to make a change?

650-498-6000

DIRECTIONS

RESOURCES

Billing and insurance

For Health Care Professionals

Our dietitians are available for 45 minute consults by appointment only on: Mondays – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

HOW TO REFER

Call us at 1-650-498-6000 to refer a new patient for a nutrition consultation. If you wish to refer a patient to the Stanford Cancer Center, please call the Physician Helpline.

Download our nutrition appointment flyer.

  • Send referrals online
  • Place radiology and lab orders
  • View referral status
  • Access medical records

Learn More About MedLink

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Make an Appointment

Questions about your appointment or need to make a change? Call:

Nutrition Services for Cancer Patients at Stanford Cancer Center Palo Alto
650-498-6000

Nutrition Services for Cancer Patients at Stanford Cancer Center South Bay
408-426-4900