2013
Eating Healthy
Now that breast cancer treatment is over, it is a great time to eat healthy. You
may have always eaten healthy, or eating healthy may be a change for you. A
healthy diet can improve how you feel and increase your energy level. Eating
healthy is also something positive that you can do about your health. Your
risk of getting many health problems can be lowered by having a good diet.
Some of the long term effects from treatment may also be made better by a
healthy diet.
Eating healthy involves three
main guidelines: moderation,
variety, and balance.
Moderation means that you don’t eat too much or too little of
any food. You need food from each of the five food groups. Your diet
should never consist of only food from certain groups and no food
from others.
Variety not only makes what you eat more interesting, but
allows your body to get the different nutrients that are in different
foods within a group. For instance, if you eat many servings of the
same fruit day after day, you may not be getting all the nutrients that
you need.
Balance in your diet means that you eat moderate amounts of
the foods from each group. You should also aim to have the right
amount of calories for how active you are.
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Portion Control
Portion control is also an important part
of eating healthy. Many restaurants and
grocers are increasing the size of their
meals that they provide, which leads to
overeating. In order to control the
amount of each food item you eat at a
meal, several basic guidelines can be
used to help you remember what a
portion looks like. For instance, one cup
or one medium sized apple would be
equivalent to the size of a baseball and 3
ounces of chicken or meat would be
equivalent to the size of a deck of cards.
Use these portion size guides to help
make sure that you are eating the right
amount of servings. Click here to view
WebMD’s Portion Size Plate tool and
click here for WebMD’s printable
Portion Control and Size Guide.
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Spring 2016
There are five basic food groups.
A healthy diet for the average person should include these groups of food and about the amounts listed by each group. If your
weight is above or below average, the amounts will vary. Also if you are very active or not active at all, this will affect how
much from each group that you need.
The Five Food Groups are:
GRAINS: 6 oz each day (1oz =1 golf ball)
Grains include foods that are made from wheat, rice, oats, barley, cornmeal or other grains. Breads, pasta, cereals, and tortillas
are in this group. Try to get 3 oz of whole grain foods. Whole wheat breads and brown rice have many potent antioxidants
which have been linked to cancer prevention.
VEGETABLES: 2 ½ cups a day(1 cup cooked vegtables = 1 baseball)
Vegetables include 100% vegetable juice. This group also includes raw, cooked, canned, frozen, fresh and dried vegetables. In
this group are green, orange, and starchy vegetables. Also in it are dry beans and peas. Two large studies suggest relationship
between increased folate intake and decreased breast cancer risk. Some foods rich in folate are: Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce,
swiss chard, other dark green vegetables.
FRUITS: 1 ½ cups a day (1 medium fruit = 1 baseball)
Fruits include 100% fruit juice. This group also includes fresh, canned, frozen and dried fruits. Eat different fruits and go easy
on the juices.
MILK and DAIRY: 3 cups or 24 oz a day (1 1/2 oz hard cheese = 3 dice)
This group includes all of the liquid milk products and foods made from milk that keep their calcium. Puddings, yogurt and
cheeses are in this group. Cream cheese, cream and butter are not. Always go for the low fat or fat free and hormone free
items in this group.
MEAT and POULTRY: 5 ½ oz a day (3oz of cooked fish = 1 checkbook)
This group includes meat, poultry, fish, dried beans, eggs, nuts and all foods that are made from them. Lean, low fat cuts of
meats are best. Add more fish, beans, peas and nuts and go easy on the red meats. As a breast cancer survivor, you want to
make sure your diet includes plenty of low-fat protein such as cold-water fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), beans, nuts, and
white meat chicken or turkey. Protein rebuilds muscle and tissue which is particularly important after undergoing chemo,
surgery, and radiation. Protein also helps some medications work better.
OILS (FATS): less than 6 teaspoons a day (1 tsp. = 1 poker chip)
Some foods that fall into this group are oils, butter, margarine, nuts, animal fat and shortening. Most of your intake from this
group should come from fish, nut and vegetable oils. Limit solid fats like butter and shortening, and consider using healthy
alternatives such as olive oil.
and go easy on the red meats.
As a breast cancer survivor, you want to make sure your diet includes plenty of low-fat protein such as cold-water fish (salmon,
sardines, mackerel), beans, nuts, and white meat chicken or turkey. Protein rebuilds muscle and tissue which is particularly
important after undergoing chemo, surgery, and radiation. Protein also helps some medications work better.
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The greatest wealth is health. –Unknown
There are times when you will be eating out.
Plan ahead to allow for the meal. Always
avoid the “all you can eat” buffet. If you have
planned ahead and thought about where you
will go and what might be a healthy choice
there, chances are that you will eat healthier.
Here are some more tips from the US
Department of Agriculture to help you when
you plan to eat out:
Here are some other tips from the United
States Department of Agriculture that may
help you to eat healthier:
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Make half your grains whole.
Vary your veggies.
Focus on fruit.
Get your calcium rich foods.
Go lean with protein.
Find your balance between food
and physical activity.
Read nutrition labels!
If you are on a limited income
consider buying produce in season
when it’s cheaper, buying frozen
fruits and vegetables, or gardening.
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When Do You Need To Seek Help?
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Talk to your doctor or nurse when
you are concerned. Be sure to tell them if
you have a personal or family history of
weight problems. Also let them know if you
have had a rapid weight gain or loss. This
could be a symptom of a health problem that
needs to be checked out. They can also
provide you with more advice about what
you should to about your weight.
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Order an appetizer or side dish
instead of an entrée.
Share a main dish with a friend.
Take leftovers home in a “doggy
bag.”
The moment your food arrives, set
aside half of it to take home.
Resign from the “clean your plate
club” - when you have eaten
enough, leave the rest.
Ask for your salad dressing on the
side, so you can use only what you
want.
Avoid ordering foods that have
creamy sauces or gravies.
Add little or no butter to your food.
Choose fruits for dessert.
Order water to drink, or low fat
milk or a drink without added sugar.
Order steamed, grilled, or broiled
dishes instead of those that are fried
or sautéed.
Ask for whole wheat bread for
sandwiches.
Start your meal with a salad packed
with veggies, to help control hunger.
Use smaller plates.
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Spring 2016
Useful Websites:
Healthy eating: Tips for a healthy diet
http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm
Breast Cancer Organization: What does healthy eating mean? Nutrition
http://www.breastcancer.org/tips/nutrition/
Breast cancer diet and nutrition manual
http://www.healthcastle.com/breast_cancer_diet.shtml
Young women with breast cancer and Nutrition/Weight Management
http://www.youngsurvival.org/breast-cancer-in-young-women/living-with-breast-cancer/quality-of-life/
US Department of Agriculture –Food and Nutrition
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=FOOD_NUTRITION&navtype=SU
WebMD Portion Size Plate
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate
WebMD Portion Control and Size Guide printout
http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/portion-control-size-guide
WebMD Printable Wallet Size Portion Guide
http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/wallet-portion-control-size-guide
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