A Sample Cancer Prevention Menu

By Jill Place, MA, RD

So you'd like to make some changes in what you're eating to reduce your cancer risk. But you just can't figure what to eat at each meal. Or how to put tons of vegetables and fruits into your day. Here's a menu that may give you some ideas:

Breakfast

Stupendous Shake (see recipe below)

or

2-egg or 4-egg-white vegetable omelet with soy, rice, or almond-milk cheese

or

Oatmeal or other whole-grain cereal with soy sausages and fruit or juice

Lunch

Whole-grain sandwich or wrap with one or more of the following:

tuna or chicken salad

hummus

veggie or turkey burger

beans, lentils, or other legumes

low-fat, fat-free, or non-dairy cheese

and lots of raw and/or cooked vegetables

or

Salad with any of the above

Dinner

3 ounces broiled salmon or other fatty fish

or

Pasta with marinara sauce with vegetables and chicken or fish

or

Vegetarian entrees or stir-fries made with grains, beans, soy products and vegetables

2 to 3 servings of raw or cooked vegetables

Snacks/Desserts

Fruit

Nuts (raw/unsalted)

Plain yogurt (soy or dairy low-fat or fat free) with fruit

Dried fruit (unsulphured if possible)

Crackers/nut butter

Crackers/soy, rice, almond milk, or low-fat cheese

Soy ice cream

Tofu pies or desserts

Fruit-juice-sweetened whole-grain cookies

High-fiber whole-grain muffins

Stupendous Shake

You can throw any fresh or frozen fruits or vegetables in a tofu or dairy or non-dairy milk base to make an absolutely stupendous shake that can be a whole meal, part of a meal, or a between-meal snack. Add any of the other ingredients below to get more nutrition and calories in every sip. High-quality whey protein powder not only gives you an easily digestible form of protein but also has some great health benefits including:

reducing the growth of unfriendly bacteria in your digestive tract that may cause digestive problems.

preventing anemia better than iron in some cases.

increasing immunity and intestinal health with the immunoglobulins contained in it.

preventing diarrhea.

So be sure to include some whey protein in your shake. Also, a frozen banana and ice cubes will thicken up your shake so much that you'll never miss the triple-thick ones from the fast food joint. If you miss the vanilla or chocolate flavoring, though, you might try one or two teaspoons of flavor extracts like vanilla, banana, coconut, or almond. And if you absolutely can't do without chocolate, make a paste with a small amount of hot water and one to two Tablespoons of defatted, decaffeinated cocoa from you local Health Food Store and stevia to taste. Stevia seems to be the safest non-nutritive sweetener available at this time. Stevia is actually an herb that is sold as a dietary supplement, so look for it in the vitamin section of your Health Food Store. It's sold in powder or liquid form much like Equal and Sweet 'n Low, and like these artificial sweeteners is about 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. So a little goes a long way. But you may find added fresh or frozen fruit just as sweet and won't need extra. Try different combinations of fruits and vegetables to find what works best for you.

Blend in blender:

2-2 ½ ounces fresh tofu or 1 cup low-fat or fat-free milk or soy, almond, rice or any other milk alternative

and/or 1 serving whey protein powder

with any or all of the following:

1/2 to 1 cup fresh fruit juice

1/2 to 1 cup soy or dairy low-fat or fat-free yogurt

1/2 to 1 cup frozen fruit

1 frozen banana (skin; freeze in ziplock bag)

1 large carrot or 1/2 to 1 cup carrot or other vegetable juice or fruit and vegetable blend

1 Tablespoon flax seeds or flax seed meal

1 Tablespoon wheat germ

1 Tablespoon wheat or rice bran

4 to 6 ice cubes added one at a time

— © Copyright 2002 Jill Place, MA, RD