What to do
• Eat 6 to 8 snacks or small meals a day, instead of 3 large meals.
• Eat dry foods, like crackers, toast, dry cereals, or bread sticks, when you wake up and
every few hours during the day.
• Eat foods that don’t have strong odors.
• Eat cool foods instead of hot or spicy foods.
• Avoid foods that are overly sweet, greasy, fried, or spicy, like rich desserts and
French fries.
• If you need to rest, sit up or recline with your head raised for at least an hour after
eating.
• Sip clear liquids frequently to prevent dehydration. Clear liquids include broth, sport
drinks, water, juice, gelatin, and popsicles.
• Ask your doctor about medicines to prevent or stop nausea.
• Try bland, soft, easy-to-digest foods on scheduled treatment days. Foods like Cream
of Wheat and chicken noodle soup with saltine crackers may settle the stomach better
than heavy meals.
• Avoid eating in a room that is warm, or that has cooking odors or other smells. Cook
outside on the grill or use boiling bags to reduce cooking odors.
• Suck on hard candy, like peppermint or lemon, if there’s a bad taste in your mouth.
• If you are vomiting, dehydration can become a problem. You’ll need to drink clear
liquids as often as possible during this time. After you have vomited, rinse your
mouth, wait for about 30 minutes, then try to drink sips of a clear liquid like apple
juice, cranberry juice, flat soda, or broth, or take bites of frozen flavored ice.