Please note: These recipes are designed to support nutrition during chemotherapy but do not replace advice from your oncology team. If you have specific dietary restrictions from your medical team, these take priority. Always check with your clinical nurse specialist if you are unsure about any ingredient.
Chemotherapy Nutrition
High Protein Batch Cook
Recipes for Chemo
Make once. Eat all week. Recipes designed to be gentle, nourishing and high in protein – for every stage of your treatment cycle.
A note on these recipes
Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist
Every recipe on this page has been designed with the specific challenges of chemotherapy in mind. They are soft enough for difficult days, gentle enough for nausea, high enough in protein to support your muscles and immune system, and simple enough that a carer can make them without difficulty. Most can be frozen in portions and defrosted as needed. On the hardest days, having these ready in the freezer changes everything.
Recipe suitability guide
Good for nausea
Mouth sore friendly
High calorie density
Immune supporting
Easy to swallow
Freezes well
How to use this guide
Make before treatment
Batch cook and freeze in the week before your cycle starts when energy is highest
Portion and label
Freeze in individual portions clearly labelled. Single servings defrost quickly and avoid waste
Check the symptom tags
Each recipe shows which symptoms it is best suited for so you can choose based on how you feel today
Small and often
Eat small amounts frequently. A few spoonfuls counts. Defrost and eat whatever you can manage
Breakfasts
Gentle, high protein options to start the day – all batch-friendly
Breakfast 01
Overnight Protein Oats
Cold, requires no cooking on the morning, no smell and completely soft. The most reliable breakfast during difficult treatment weeks.
Ingredients (x5)
- 400g oats
- 1 litre oat milk
- 5 scoops Form Pureblend protein (15% off via Tracey’s link)
- 5 tbsp peanut butter
- 5 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- Soft berries to top
Method
- Divide oats between 5 jars
- Add 200ml oat milk to each
- Stir in protein powder and peanut butter
- Add sweetener, mix well
- Seal and refrigerate overnight
- Top with soft fruit before eating
Storage: Keeps 5 days in fridge. Do not freeze with fruit topping.
Breakfast 02
Batch Egg Muffins
Make a batch on a good day, freeze individually and defrost one at a time. Eat warm or at room temperature depending on how nausea is.
Ingredients
- 10 eggs, whisked
- 200g soft cheese or feta
- Large bag spinach, wilted
- 6 sundried tomatoes, chopped
- Salt, pepper, dried herbs
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C
- Wilt and drain spinach thoroughly
- Mix all ingredients together
- Pour into lined muffin tin
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes until set
- Cool before freezing individually
Freezes: Up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge or 60 seconds in microwave.
Breakfast 03
Recovery Smoothie Packs
Pre-portion the fruit into freezer bags so on the worst mornings all that is needed is to tip a bag into the blender with yoghurt and protein powder.
Per pack
- 1 banana, sliced and frozen
- Handful frozen berries
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- At blending: 200g Greek yoghurt
- 1 scoop Form Pureblend (15% off)
- 200ml oat milk
Method
- Slice bananas and freeze on a tray
- Once frozen, bag with berries and PB into 7 portions
- Label and return to freezer
- To make: tip pack into blender
- Add yoghurt, protein and oat milk
- Blend and sip slowly
Packs freeze: Up to 3 months. Add yoghurt and protein fresh each time.
Breakfast 04
Warm Congee with Egg
Congee is rice cooked down to a thick porridge. Incredibly gentle, almost no smell, very easy to eat. One of the most tolerated foods during the hardest treatment days.
Ingredients
- 300g white rice
- 2 litres low salt chicken or veg stock
- 2cm piece fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 6 eggs (one per portion)
- Spring onion to garnish
Method
- Simmer rice in stock with ginger 25 min
- Stir frequently until very thick
- Remove ginger, add soy sauce
- Divide into portions and freeze
- To serve: defrost, heat gently
- Poach or soft boil one egg per bowl
Freezes: Up to 3 months without the egg. Add egg fresh when serving.
Breakfast 05
Banana and Almond Baked Oats
Baked oats have a soft, pudding-like texture. Sweet, comforting and completely soft. Can be eaten warm or cold straight from the fridge.
Ingredients
- 400g oats
- 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 4 scoops Form Pureblend (15% off)
- 4 tbsp almond butter
- 600ml oat milk
- 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp vanilla
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C
- Mash bananas with all wet ingredients
- Stir in oats, protein and spices
- Pour into lined baking dish
- Bake 25 minutes until set
- Cool, slice into 6, freeze individually
Freezes: Up to 3 months. Defrost and eat cold or warm gently.
Breakfast 06
Yoghurt Protein Pots
No cooking, no heat, no smell. The simplest possible high protein breakfast. Prepare five pots on a good day and they are ready in the fridge all week.
Ingredients (x5)
- 1kg full fat Greek yoghurt
- 5 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 5 tbsp mixed seeds
- Soft fruit to top
- Optional: 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Divide yoghurt between 5 containers
- Stir in sweetener and vanilla
- Top with seeds
- Seal and refrigerate
- Add soft fruit just before eating
Storage: 5 days in fridge. Do not freeze.
Tracey recommends for these recipes
Form Pureblend Protein – Unflavoured
The protein powder used throughout these recipes is Form Pureblend – an organic pea, brown rice and pumpkin seed protein with absolutely no flavourings, sweeteners or additives. This makes it uniquely suitable during chemotherapy when taste sensitivity and nausea can make flavoured protein powders completely intolerable. It dissolves into oats, yoghurt and smoothies with no taste impact whatsoever.
Use Tracey’s link and get 15% off your order automatically.
The discount is applied at checkout when you shop via the link below.
Affiliate link – Tracey earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Lunches
High protein, gentle and easy to eat at any temperature
Lunch 01
Gentle Lentil and Ginger Soup
Blended smooth so there is nothing to chew. Ginger actively reduces nausea. Lentils provide iron and protein. The most versatile soup in this guide.
Ingredients
- 500g red lentils
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 4cm fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric
- 1.5 litres low salt stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Fry ginger and spices in oil 1 min
- Add lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk and stock
- Simmer 15 to 18 minutes until lentils are very soft
- Blend completely smooth
- Taste – add more ginger if tolerated
- Freeze in individual portions
Freezes: Up to 4 months. Defrost and heat gently – do not boil.
Lunch 02
Salmon and Sweet Potato Fishcakes
Omega-3 rich salmon with sweet potato. Soft inside with a very gentle texture. Serve with yoghurt as a dip rather than anything acidic.
Ingredients
- 4 tins salmon, drained
- 800g sweet potato, mashed
- 2 eggs
- 2 spring onions, very finely chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Microwave sweet potato until very soft, mash
- Mix all ingredients together well
- Shape into 12 cakes
- Bake at 200C for 20 minutes
- Cool completely before freezing
- Defrost and serve at room temperature or warmed
Freezes: Up to 3 months. Defrost fully before reheating.
Lunch 03
Chickpea and Coconut Soup
Mild, creamy and completely smooth when blended. Coconut milk makes it calorie-dense without any strong flavour. Chickpeas provide protein and iron.
Ingredients
- 3 tins chickpeas, drained
- 2 tins coconut milk
- 1 litre low salt veg stock
- 1 tsp mild curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Heat oil, add spices for 30 seconds
- Add chickpeas, coconut milk and stock
- Simmer 10 minutes
- Blend completely smooth
- Season gently with salt
- Freeze in portions
Freezes: Up to 4 months.
Lunch 04
Tuna and Avocado Smash Pots
Cold, no cooking, no smell from preparation. Ready in five minutes and packed with protein and healthy fats. Eat with soft crackers or bread.
Ingredients (x4)
- 4 tins tuna in spring water
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and mild seasoning
Method
- Drain tuna and add to bowl
- Mash avocado and mix through
- Stir in yoghurt and lime juice
- Season very gently
- Divide into 4 sealed containers
Storage: 2 days in fridge only. Do not freeze – avocado does not freeze well.
Lunch 05
Chicken and Sweet Potato Broth
A classic healing broth with proper protein. Can be blended smooth for mouth sore days or left with soft chunks on better days. Very low smell when not being cooked.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 3 sweet potatoes, diced
- 2 litres low salt chicken stock
- 2cm ginger, grated
- 2 carrots, diced
- Mild seasoning only
Method
- Add all ingredients to a large pot
- Bring to simmer, cook 25 minutes
- Remove chicken and shred finely
- Return to pot
- Blend half for a creamier texture if preferred
- Cool and freeze in portions
Freezes: Up to 4 months.
Lunch 06
Soft Egg and Potato Salad
Served cold so no smell. Very soft when potatoes are well cooked. Greek yoghurt replaces mayo for extra protein without the richness that can worsen nausea.
Ingredients
- 800g new potatoes, boiled very soft
- 8 eggs, hard boiled
- 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 2 tsp mild mustard
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- Salt and white pepper
Method
- Boil potatoes until very soft, cool
- Hard boil eggs, cool and roughly chop
- Mix yoghurt, mustard and seasoning
- Gently combine everything
- Divide into 4 containers
- Serve cold
Storage: 3 days in fridge. Do not freeze.
Dinners
Nourishing batch cook dinners – all freezer friendly
Dinner 01
Healing Chicken and Turmeric Dahl
Turmeric is powerfully anti-inflammatory. Combined with lentils and chicken this is one of the most nutritionally complete recipes in this guide. Can be blended smooth.
Ingredients
- 600g chicken breast, diced
- 400g red lentils
- 2 tins coconut milk
- 1 tin tomatoes
- 2 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp cumin
- 4cm fresh ginger
- 1.2 litres low salt stock
Method
- Brown chicken in oil gently
- Add ginger and spices for 1 min
- Add lentils, coconut milk, tomatoes and stock
- Simmer 20 minutes until lentils dissolve
- Blend partially or fully depending on preference
- Cool and freeze in portions
Freezes: Up to 4 months. One of the best batch cook dishes in this guide.
Dinner 02
Soft Salmon and Mashed Potato
Very soft, very high protein and omega-3 rich. The ultimate easy dinner for difficult days. Mash made with oat milk and butter is exceptionally smooth and calorie-dense.
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets
- 1kg potatoes, well boiled
- 100ml oat milk
- 50g butter
- Salt and white pepper only
Method
- Boil potatoes until very soft
- Mash with warm oat milk and butter until very smooth
- Bake or poach salmon at 180C for 12 minutes
- Flake gently over mash
- Freeze mash and salmon separately
Freezes: Mash up to 3 months. Salmon up to 2 months. Combine fresh when serving.
Dinner 03
Gentle Turkey and Vegetable Mince
Turkey is very lean, mild and easy to digest. This mince is mild enough for sensitive stomachs and versatile enough to serve over rice, mash or pasta.
Ingredients
- 800g turkey mince
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 carrots, very finely diced
- 1 courgette, grated
- 2 tsp dried herbs
- Low salt stock, olive oil
Method
- Brown turkey in olive oil gently
- Add carrots and courgette
- Add tomatoes and herbs
- Simmer 15 minutes
- Cool completely and freeze in portions
- Serve over very soft pasta, rice or mash
Freezes: Up to 4 months.
Dinner 04
Immune-Boosting Chicken Bone Broth
This is a carer recipe – it takes time but almost no active effort. The resulting broth is deeply nourishing, rich in collagen and minerals and one of the gentlest things someone can drink on a very difficult day.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken carcass or 1kg bones
- 3 litres cold water
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 carrots, 2 sticks celery
- 4cm ginger, garlic cloves
- Bay leaves, peppercorns
Method
- Add all ingredients to a large pot
- Bring to boil then reduce to lowest simmer
- Cook for minimum 2 hours – up to 8
- Strain through a fine sieve
- Cool and remove fat from surface
- Freeze in portions – sip warm as a drink
Freezes: Up to 6 months. A slow cooker on overnight makes this effortless.
Dinner 05
Vegan Protein Dahl
Completely plant-based, iron-rich and blends to a completely smooth texture. One of the best all-round chemo-friendly dinners. Can be made very mild for difficult days.
Ingredients
- 500g red lentils
- 2 tins coconut milk
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin
- 4cm ginger
- 1.5 litres veg stock
- Large bag spinach
Method
- Fry ginger and spices 30 seconds
- Add lentils, coconut milk, tomatoes and stock
- Simmer 18 minutes until completely soft
- Stir in spinach until wilted
- Blend smooth or leave with texture
- Cool and freeze in individual portions
Freezes: Up to 4 months. One of the most reliable freezer staples in this guide.
Dinner 06
Soft Baked Cod in Coconut Broth
Cod is one of the mildest, gentlest fish available. Cooked in coconut broth it becomes extremely soft and the broth itself can be sipped if eating is very difficult.
Ingredients
- 4 cod fillets
- 2 tins coconut milk
- 500ml low salt fish or veg stock
- 2cm ginger, grated
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Mild seasoning only
Method
- Warm coconut milk and stock in a deep pan
- Add ginger and turmeric
- Gently poach cod in the broth 8 to 10 minutes
- Remove fish and flake gently
- Freeze fish and broth separately
- Serve with soft rice
Freezes: Fish up to 2 months. Broth up to 4 months.
Snacks
High protein, easy to eat between meals – batch prepared and ready to grab
Snack 01
Protein Energy Balls
No baking. No cooking. Soft, sweet and calorie-dense. Keep in the fridge or freezer and eat one or two whenever appetite allows.
Ingredients
- 200g oats
- 4 scoops Form Pureblend (15% off)
- 200g peanut or almond butter
- 6 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 4 tbsp mixed seeds
- 4 tbsp dark chocolate chips
Method
- Mix all ingredients together well
- If too dry add a little oat milk
- Roll into 20 balls
- Place on a lined tray
- Refrigerate 30 minutes to set
- Store in fridge or freeze
Freezes: Up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Snack 02
Batch Greek Yoghurt Pots
The easiest high protein snack. Cold, no smell, no preparation on the day. A pot in the fridge at eye level means it gets eaten without any effort.
Ingredients (x5)
- 1kg full fat Greek yoghurt
- 5 tbsp honey
- 5 tbsp mixed seeds or granola
- Soft berries to top
Method
- Divide yoghurt into 5 small containers
- Stir in honey
- Top with seeds
- Seal and store in fridge
- Add fresh berries just before eating
Storage: 5 days in fridge. Do not freeze.
Snack 03
Avocado and Cottage Cheese Pots
Cold, incredibly soft and very high in healthy fats and protein. Serve with very soft crackers or bread on the side if tolerated.
Ingredients (x4)
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 400g cottage cheese
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt and white pepper
- Optional: pinch of mild paprika
Method
- Mash avocado very smooth
- Mix with cottage cheese
- Add lemon juice and gentle seasoning
- Divide into 4 sealed containers
- Serve cold
Storage: 2 days in fridge only. Do not freeze.
Snack 04
Batch Baked Peanut Butter Flapjacks
Soft flapjacks with protein powder baked in. Make a full tray, cut into squares and freeze individually. A real comfort snack that also nourishes.
Ingredients
- 400g oats
- 4 scoops Form Pureblend (15% off)
- 200g peanut butter
- 150ml honey or maple syrup
- 100ml oat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat oven to 170C
- Warm peanut butter and honey together until runny
- Mix all ingredients together
- Press firmly into lined baking tray
- Bake 20 minutes until golden
- Cool completely, cut into 16, freeze individually
Freezes: Up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature 15 minutes.
Snack 05
Frozen Yoghurt Bark
Frozen yoghurt is soothing for mouth sores, has almost no smell and can be nibbled slowly. A cold snack for the hardest days.
Ingredients
- 500g full fat Greek yoghurt
- 3 tbsp honey
- Handful soft berries
- 2 tbsp mixed seeds
- Optional: 1 tsp vanilla
Method
- Mix yoghurt with honey and vanilla
- Spread 1cm thick on lined baking tray
- Scatter berries and seeds over top
- Freeze for minimum 3 hours
- Break into pieces and store in freezer bag
- Eat straight from frozen – let melt slightly first
Freezes: Up to 2 months. Particularly good for mouth sore days.
Snack 06
Hummus and Soft Vegetable Pots
Homemade hummus is far higher in protein than shop-bought and completely smooth. Pair with very soft cooked vegetables – steamed carrot, soft cucumber or roasted sweet potato.
Ingredients
- 3 tins chickpeas, drained
- 4 tbsp tahini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- Salt, cumin
- Soft veg to serve alongside
Method
- Blend chickpeas with all ingredients
- Add water to reach desired consistency
- Blend until very smooth
- Divide into 5 portions
- Add soft veg alongside each
Hummus freezes: Up to 3 months. Freeze without the veg.
For carers and family
Stocking the freezer
before treatment starts
If you are a carer, partner or family member – this is the most practical and loving thing you can do. A fully stocked freezer before the first treatment cycle begins means that on the worst days the answer to “what can I eat” is already solved.
When to do this
Aim to fill the freezer in the week before the first treatment cycle starts. Energy and appetite will be at their best here. This is the most valuable cooking session you can do.
How to organise it
Label everything clearly with the recipe name, date and protein content. Store similar items together. Keep the most gentle, nausea-friendly options at the front and most accessible.
Container sizes
Freeze in individual portions not large batches. A single serving defrosted quickly in a microwave requires almost no energy. A large container that needs cutting and repackaging does not get used.
Between cycles
Top up the freezer on the good days in the middle of each cycle – typically days 8 to 12. This keeps the supply going through the whole course of treatment.
The ideal freezer stocking list – aim for 2 portions of each
Overnight protein oats – in individual jars, ready to defrost the night before
Batch egg muffins – individually wrapped, defrost in 60 seconds
Recovery smoothie packs – pre-portioned fruit in bags, blend fresh with yoghurt and protein
Congee portions – the gentlest possible food for the worst nausea days
Baked oats squares – sweet, comforting, defrost at room temperature
Gentle lentil and ginger soup – 8 portions minimum, the most used item in this guide
Salmon and sweet potato fishcakes – high protein and omega-3, defrost and serve cold or warm
Healing chicken and turmeric dahl – the most nutritionally complete dinner in this guide
Vegan protein dahl – for plant-based days or if meat is not tolerated
Turkey mince portions – versatile, serve over rice, pasta or mash
Chicken bone broth – freeze in small portions to sip as a drink on very difficult days
Protein energy balls – a bag in the freezer door for whenever a few bites are possible
Peanut butter flapjacks – individually wrapped, high calorie comfort snack
Hummus portions – freeze without the veg, defrost and pair with whatever is soft
Frozen yoghurt bark – particularly useful for mouth sore days
Personalised nutrition support
Want nutrition support tailored specifically to your treatment?
These recipes provide general support. A one-to-one consultation with Tracey can build a nutrition plan around your specific cancer type, treatment schedule, side effects and what you can manage day to day.
Get in TouchAll consultations are conducted with sensitivity and in full confidence.