Condition Kitchen: 3 Easy, Go-To Recipes for People Being Treated for or Recovering From Cancer Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Cancer Condition Kitchen 3 Easy Go-To Recipes for People Living With Cancer Try these doctor-approved, anti-inflammatory, fiber-rich, plant protein–based recipes for beginner chefs who want to maximize their health while coping with cancer. By Everyday Health StaffMedically Reviewed by Thomas Urban Marron, MD, PhDReviewed: March 23, 2022Medically ReviewedWhen you first receive a cancer diagnosis your mind may initially go to what’s next with regard to treatment. And that is, in fact, the first order of business. But after you settle into how the disease will be treated, and how you’re going to navigate the day-to-day logistics of treatment, there’s the matter of how you plan to cope going forward. That’s how it played out for Kelly Spill, 30, who was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer at age 28, soon after becoming a new mom. “I was pregnant and seeing symptoms of bleeding a month before I had my baby,” says Spill. “I knew something couldn’t be right.” Her doctor, taking into account her age and the fact that she was nine months pregnant, told her he was positive it was internal hemorrhoids, which are common in pregnancy and notorious for causing blood in the stool. Condition Kitchen 3 Easy Go-To Recipes for People Being Treated for or Recovering from CancerTry these nutritious, doctor-approved, easy-to-do recipes for beginner chefs living with cancer. Plant-based recipes include a breakfast and two healthy soups. Hemorrhoid bleeding is unnerving, but relatively benign and not an emergency. Spill turned her attention back to her son’s impending birth. When the bleeding continued postpartum, she knew something was wrong, but it took visits to several different doctors to convince them to act on it. Finally, nine months after her son’s birth, and many doctor’s visits later, Spill was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, a disease that has become increasingly common in young people in recent years. At first, Spill was told she faced surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, a constellation of treatment that would have made conceiving another child not possible. But, as it happened, her doctors discovered that she was eligible for a clinical trial of a new immunotherapy treatment. That treatment put her cancer into remission. Now, she says, “I’m able to live my life. I just love every single day, and it is just a miracle, to be honest.” As she’s moved forward, past her diagnosis and treatment, the question of how to live healthily, in a way most conducive to keeping cancer at bay, has come to the forefront. For Spill, that has meant, first and foremost, a focus on her diet. Her oncologist told her to cut back on red meats and cold cuts, and she’s made those changes. But Spill wants to do more. And her instincts are good, says Joseph Feuerstein MD, assistant professor at Columbia University in New York City and an integrative physician in Connecticut. It's difficult to run diet-based clinical trials, and many cancers may occur over long periods of time, making it hard to point conclusively to factors that contribute to promoting or slowing down cancerous growth. That said, Dr. Feuerstein says the evidence thus far points to three key points to when it comes to nutrition and cancer: inflammation, epigenetics, and, in the case of immunotherapy, an extra diet-related opportunity. “A diet that is inflammatory will likely cause more turnover of cells, which can become abnormal, cancerous cells,” he says, noting that an anti-inflammatory diet may prevent that to some degree. Furthermore, says Feuerstein, research shows that epigenetic influences — environmental factors like food — can switch genes that contribute to cancer formation off. Finally, Feuerstein says, there are specific foods that, like immunotherapy, down-regulate cell signals that cause cancerous cells to proliferate. Translation: Immunotherapy plus diet is a win-win. Feuerstein chats with Spill and Rachel Wong RD, who provides nutrition therapy to oncology patients from diagnosis to survivorship at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, DC, about the ideal anti-cancer diet, while chef Daniel Green, who specializes in healthy eating, translates their dietary acumen into three anti-inflammatory, plant-based, fiber-rich recipes. Chef Daniel Green Daniel Green is an internationally recognized chef and TV personality who specializes in healthy eating. An award-winning author of 11 cookbooks and the cohost of Everyday Health’s Condition Kitchen, Green helps create meals that are healthy and full of flavor. Joseph Feuerstein MDDr. Feuerstein is an assistant professor at Columbia University in New York City and an integrative physician in Connecticut. In his practice, he helps people improve their health by incorporating nutrition and other lifestyle changes into their treatment plans. Feuerstein cohosts Condition Kitchen with Green. Rachel Wong RDRachel Wong is an outpatients oncology dietician at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, DC. She provides nutrition therapy to oncology patients from diagnosis to survivorship. 3 Easy Healthy Recipes for Living Healthy Beyond Cancer Roasted Apples With Cinnamon Almond YogurtServes 4 Ingredients4 apples, cored and cut into wedges1 tsp vanilla extract2 tbsp honey½ cup chopped, unsalted mixed nuts1 tbsp grapeseed oil1 tsp Stevia or monk fruit sweetener (optional)10 oz unsweetened vanilla-almond yogurt2 tsp ground cinnamonMint leaves for garnish DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees F.Place apples on a baking tray.Mix vanilla, nuts, oil, and Stevia (if using), and drizzle over the apples. Bake for 25 minutes.Meanwhile, mix yogurt and cinnamon. Place apples with yogurt in a bowl, top with fresh mint, and serve. Nutrition per serving: 346 calories, 19g total fat (2.4g saturated fat), 6g protein, 45g carbohydrates, 7.2g fiber, 32g sugar (12.1g added sugar), 53mg sodium Get the recipe. Four Mushroom Soup With Rosemary Thyme and OreganoPrep and cook time: 40 minutes Serves 6 Ingredients Garlic Garnish 1 large bulb of garlic1 tsp olive oil Soup2 tbsp olive oil1 white onion, peeled and chopped14 oz mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped (can be a combination of button, oyster, shiitake, portobello, porcini)1 tbsp each of fresh chopped rosemary, oregano, and thyme1 pint low-sodium vegetable broth or stock4 oz light coconut milkHandful of fresh, finely chopped parsley DirectionsSlice garlic bulb in half, drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. While garlic is in the oven, prepare other ingredients.Heat olive oil in a stock pot over high heat. Add onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the roughly chopped mushrooms and reduce to medium heat. Cook for 2 more minutes, then add stock and herbs. Bring to a simmer.Add about half the cooked garlic cloves, which should squeeze out easily; save a few for garnish. Simmer for 15 minutes, then add coconut milk and cook for another minute.Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with some fresh parsley for color and a clove of the cooked garlic, and serve. Nutrition per serving: 87 calories, 6g total fat (1.3g saturated fat), 2g protein, 9g carbohydrates, 1.9g fiber, 3.4g sugar (0.7g added sugar), 203mg sodium Get the recipe. Tofu Ramen SoupPrep and cook time: 20 minutes Serves 6 Ingredients1 pint low-sodium vegetable broth1 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake, if possible)2 cloves crushed garlic½ inch peeled ginger, finely grated4 heads bok choy, cut in half5 oz cubed firm tofu2 8-oz bags tofu noodles, drained1 cup shelled edamame2 shallots, finely sliced1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce (gluten-free)2 scallions, finely chopped1 tbsp sesame oil (optional)1 tsp chile paste or flakes (to taste)Handful fresh chopped cilantro DirectionsHeat vegetable broth in a stock pot over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, bok choy, garlic, and ginger. Cover and heat through until bok choy is bright green, about 6 to 8 minutes.Divide cubed tofu, tofu noodles, edamame, and shallots into 6 soup bowls. Add hot broth to each bowl, then add a splash of soy sauce, scallions, a splash of sesame oil, and chile paste to taste.Garnish with cilantro and serve. Nutrition per serving: 194 calories, 7g total fat (0.9g saturated fat), 17g protein, 24g carbohydrates, 8.2g fiber, 10g sugar (0.8g added sugar), 688mg sodium Get the recipe. Most Recent in Cancer The Price of Being Invisible How One Black Woman Fought for Her Lung Cancer Diagnosis Standing Up for Better Lung Cancer Care New Guidelines Recommend Best Uses of Acupuncture Massage and Other Non-Drug Treatments for Cancer Pain Immunotherapy Given Before Target Therapy Improves Advanced Melanoma Survival RatesNEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Cancer Care Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.