Nutrition & Wellness

Good nutrition is an important part of supporting your body during and after cancer treatment. Getting enough calories, protein, fluids, vitamins, and minerals can help maintain strength and energy, support healing and recovery, and reduce the risk of malnutrition. Nutrition needs can change throughout treatment, and what works for one person may not work for another.

For people with stomach cancer, eating enough can sometimes be challenging because of the cancer itself, treatment side effects, or changes following surgery. A registered dietitian, particularly one experienced in oncology, can work with you and your healthcare team to develop an approach based on your individual needs.

Protein

Protein helps the body maintain and repair tissues and preserve muscle. People undergoing cancer treatment may need more protein than usual, particularly during recovery from surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.

Sources of protein can include fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, beans, lentils, soy foods, nuts and nut butters. Your healthcare team or registered dietitian can help determine how much protein is appropriate for you.

Learn more about adding protein during cancer treatment from the National Cancer Institute

Fats

Fat provides energy and helps the body absorb certain vitamins. Foods containing fat can also provide valuable calories when maintaining weight or eating enough is difficult.

Different types of dietary fats have different effects on health. In general, sources of unsaturated fats include foods such as nuts, seeds, avocados, fish, and certain plant oils.

During cancer treatment, however, getting adequate nutrition may sometimes take priority over following general dietary rules. Your individual needs, tolerance, treatment, and digestive function should guide food choices.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for the body. They are found in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, dairy products, and foods containing sugars.

Rather than labeling carbohydrates as “good” or “bad,” focus on foods that help you meet your nutritional needs and that you can comfortably tolerate. During treatment, certain side effects or changes to digestion may affect which foods work best for you.

Learn more about nutrition during cancer treatment from the National Cancer Institute.

Fluids & Hydration

Staying hydrated is important, particularly if treatment causes vomiting, diarrhea, or difficulty eating and drinking. Water is one source of fluid, but other beverages and foods, including soups and other fluid-rich foods can also contribute to hydration.

Fluid needs vary from person to person and may change during treatment. Your healthcare team can help you determine how much fluid you need, particularly if you are experiencing symptoms that increase your risk of dehydration.

Learn more about fluids and hydration from the American Cancer Society.

Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements

Vitamins and minerals are essential for normal body function, and many can be obtained through food. However, cancer and its treatment can sometimes make it difficult to eat enough or meet specific nutritional needs.

Before starting vitamins, minerals, herbs, or other dietary supplements, talk with your healthcare team. Some supplements can interact with cancer treatments or medications, and taking high doses is not necessarily beneficial or safe.

Your doctor or registered dietitian may recommend supplements when appropriate based on your diet, treatment, symptoms, laboratory results, or individual nutritional needs.

Nutrition Is Personal

There is no single food or diet that is right for every person with stomach cancer—and no food, diet, vitamin, or supplement has been proven to cure cancer.

Your nutritional needs may change throughout diagnosis, treatment, surgery, recovery, and survivorship. If you are losing weight, struggling to eat or drink, experiencing digestive symptoms, or have questions about what foods are appropriate for you, talk with your healthcare team and ask whether a registered dietitian can help.

Learn more from:

National Cancer Institute — Nutrition During Cancer Treatment

American Cancer Society — Nutrition and Physical Activity During and After Cancer Treatment

Your nutritional needs may change throughout diagnosis, treatment, surgery, recovery, and survivorship. If you are losing weight, struggling to eat or drink, or experiencing digestive symptoms, talk with your healthcare team or a registered dietitian.

The next section provides practical strategies for managing common nutrition-related challenges that may occur during gastric cancer treatment.

Removing part or all of the stomach changes how the body stores, digests, and moves food through the digestive system. After a partial or total gastrectomy, you may feel full more quickly, tolerate smaller amounts of food at a time, or experience changes in digestion and nutrient absorption.

Eating after gastrectomy is a process of adjustment. Your needs may change as you recover, and foods that are difficult to tolerate soon after surgery may become easier to eat over time. Your surgical team and registered dietitian can provide guidance based on the type of surgery you had, your recovery, symptoms, weight, and nutritional needs.

Eating After Surgery

Eat Smaller Meals More Often

After a gastrectomy, eating smaller amounts more frequently is often easier than eating three large meals. Some people may initially tolerate only a few bites at a time, particularly following total gastrectomy.

Your healthcare team may recommend eating six or more small meals throughout the day or following a meal schedule to help you get enough calories and nutrients despite smaller portions.

As your body adjusts, the amount and frequency that work best for you may change.

Eat Slowly & Chew Thoroughly

Take your time when eating and chew food thoroughly before swallowing. Eating slowly can help you recognize fullness and may reduce discomfort caused by eating too much at once.

Sitting upright while eating can also support comfortable digestion.

Make Protein a Priority

Because you may be eating smaller portions, making each bite count becomes especially important. Protein supports healing and helps maintain muscle and strength.

Try to include a source of protein with meals and snacks as tolerated. Examples include eggs, fish, poultry, dairy products, tofu, beans, and nut butters. Your registered dietitian can help identify foods that meet your needs and are comfortable for you to eat.

Consider Separating Food & Fluids

Drinking large amounts with meals can contribute to feeling full too quickly and may cause food to move through the digestive system more rapidly after gastrectomy.

Your healthcare team may recommend limiting fluids with meals and drinking most of your fluids between meals instead. Specific recommendations can vary, so follow the guidance provided by your surgical team or registered dietitian.

It’s still important to drink enough throughout the day to stay hydrated.

Food Tolerance Can Change

Soon after surgery, softer, well-cooked foods may be easier to tolerate than raw, tough, or chewy foods. As recovery progresses, foods can often be gradually reintroduced based on individual tolerance.

Rather than thinking of foods as permanently “allowed” or “not allowed,” pay attention to how your body responds. Some people develop temporary or longer-lasting difficulty tolerating certain foods, including foods high in sugar or fat or dairy products containing lactose.

A food and symptom diary can help you identify patterns. Record what you eat and drink, approximately how much, and any symptoms that occur afterward. This information can also be useful when working with your healthcare team or registered dietitian.

Understanding Dumping Syndrome

After a gastrectomy, food may move from the digestive tract into the small intestine more quickly than it did before surgery. This can lead to dumping syndrome.

Symptoms may occur soon after eating and can include abdominal cramping, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, weakness, or a rapid heartbeat. Other symptoms—including weakness, hunger, shakiness, sweating, or feeling lightheaded—can occur later as blood sugar changes.

Foods and drinks high in added sugars can trigger dumping syndrome in some people. Eating smaller meals, including protein with meals, and adjusting when you drink fluids may help manage symptoms.

If you experience symptoms that may be related to dumping syndrome, talk with your healthcare team or registered dietitian. They can help determine the cause and develop an eating plan appropriate for you.

Vitamins & Minerals After Gastrectomy

This deserves its own subsection because nutrition after gastrectomy isn’t only about what you eat.

Removing part or all of the stomach can affect the body’s ability to absorb certain vitamins and minerals. People who have undergone a gastrectomy may require ongoing nutritional monitoring and supplementation.

Depending on the type of surgery and your individual needs, your healthcare team may monitor nutrients including vitamin B12, iron, folate, calcium, vitamin D, and others. Total gastrectomy can increase the risk of multiple micronutrient deficiencies.

Your healthcare team may recommend vitamin or mineral supplements based on your surgery, diet, laboratory results, and individual needs. Do not assume that a standard multivitamin provides everything you need after gastrectomy.

Work with your healthcare team to understand:

• which vitamins and minerals should be monitored;
• how often bloodwork may be needed;
• whether supplements are recommended; and
• what form or dose is appropriate for you.

Maintaining Weight & Meeting Your Nutritional Needs

Weight loss can occur after a gastrectomy because you are able to eat less at one time, and your body may digest or absorb nutrients differently.

Small, frequent meals and foods that provide adequate calories and protein can help. Nutritional supplements or shakes may also be appropriate for some people, particularly when meeting nutritional needs through food alone is difficult.

Tell your healthcare team if you are losing weight unintentionally, struggling to eat enough, or experiencing persistent diarrhea, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, dehydration, or other symptoms that interfere with eating or drinking.

Finding What Works for You

Adjusting to eating after gastrectomy takes time. Some people can eventually tolerate a wide variety of foods, while others continue to find that certain foods or eating patterns work better than others.

A registered dietitian experienced in oncology or gastrointestinal surgery can help you develop a nutrition plan, identify strategies for managing symptoms, monitor your nutritional status, and adjust recommendations as your needs change.

Trusted Resources

For additional information about eating and nutrition following gastrectomy:

National Cancer Institute — Diet and Nutrition After Gastrectomy

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — Diet and Nutrition Before and After Your Gastrectomy