[Aussie Girl]

Hi -
it is OK to eat fresh carefully washed salad. It is salad bars where things sit around that are a problem. You take the same precautions you would in pregnancy.
Avoid the following:
Soft white cheeses eg. Ricotta, brie, camembert, blue vein and fetta
Pate
Unpasturised dairy products
Cold meats
Dried/fermented sausages
Raw seafoods eg. Oysters, sashimi
Smoked seafood (canned is okay)
Pre packed and prepared salads
Soft serve ice-cream
Smorgasbords

Hot freshly made takeaway is fine.

Lean meat is good to have because of its nutritional punch, but a balanced vegetarian diet is fine too.

If you've been vegetarian for a while you'll know how to mix your protein sources at the one meal (eg nuts and grain, or pulses and grain). Eggs and dairy are good if you aren't vegan. You will need more protein than usual to help repair the body.

I strongly suggest you go to a dietician who knows about chemo patients, if you are vegetarian or vegan as you may need supplements such as iron and Vit B12 supplementation because chemo pounds your blood cells,. There is no vegetarian source of Vit B12 - but it can be made by bacteria and this is used to enrich some cereal products. Also your doctor can give a B12 injection and iron tablets.

Most other essentials are easily available in a vegetarian diet. If you have a very low fat diet, you may need supplementation of fat soluble vitamins. There is a special nutrition forum on this site, too.

You can use the search function on this site to find lots of information about mouth care and mouth washes.

I found carbohydrates tasted like cardboard, but often found once I started eating, and distracted myself by reading, then I'd find I'd finished a meal without realizing it. Soft food and cold foods were a help when my mouth was sore. Some people find soups very helpful.

Also ask for help from friends and family if you get too tired to prepare food. Just let them know what works for you.

I wish you all the best. You'll get through it.

Aussie Girl