Changes in taste or smell

Taste changes

Smell changes

• Add extra flavour to food if it tastes bland (e.g. fresh herbs, lemon, lime, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey, chilli, pepper, Worcestershire sauce or pickles). Check out these ideas for tasty marinades.
• Experiment with different foods, as your tastes may change. You may not like bitter drinks (e.g. tea, coffee, beer, wine) or sweet food (e.g. chocolate), even if you liked them before treatment. It is common to prefer savoury food.
• If meat tastes unpleasant during treatment, replace it with other protein sources (e.g. cheese, eggs, nuts, dairy foods, seafood, baked beans, lentils, chickpeas).
• Add small amounts of sugar to food if it tastes bitter or salty.
• Use bamboo or plastic cutlery if metal cutlery adds a metallic taste.
• Drink through a straw so the taste isn’t as strong. Metal straws may add a metallic taste so paper or plastic straws may be better.

• Choose cold food or food at room temperature – hot food smells stronger.
• Try not to eat your favourite foods during chemotherapy. Some people find afterwards that they cannot tolerate the smell of foods associated with their treatment.
• Avoid using large amounts of strong-smelling ingredients (e.g. garlic, onion).
• If cooking smells bother you, ask family or friends to cook and stay out of the kitchen when food is being prepared.
• Turn on the exhaust fan, open a window and cover pots with lids to help reduce cooking smells, or cook outside on the barbecue.
• Avoid eating in stuffy or overly warm rooms.
• Practise good mouth care, as a bad taste in the mouth can make things smell unpleasant.