Maintaining your weight during MDS treatment can be tricky, but it is an important thing to try to do because patients who keep up with their weight and eat well during treatment often have better responses to the drugs they are receiving.
If your appetite is poor, energy bites are an easy way to consume a lot of calories in just a few chews. There are endless ways to make these, and a quick Google search for “energy bites” will give you tons of recipes to choose from, but here’s my favorite way to make them:
Prep time: 5 min
Makes 10 bites
Ingredients:
Directions:
Store in the fridge for up to 1 week, or the freezer for up to 2 months. Enjoy!
If you’re in need of extra protein, which many patients with MDS are, consider adding ⅓ of a cup of protein powder to this recipe.
Nutrition facts: 1 bite provides 150 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrate and 5 grams of protein (not including protein powder)
Two or more of these make a great snack. They’re also handy when you’re on the go. Throw a few into a baggie or portable container and take with you whenever you will be gone from the house for a while. You can also use them when you absolutely do not feel like eating a full meal. It’s definitely better than going without food!
Maintaining your weight during MDS treatment can be tricky, but it is an important thing to try to do because patients who keep up with their weight and eat well during treatment often have better responses to the drugs they are receiving.
If your appetite is poor, energy bites are an easy way to consume a lot of calories in just a few chews. There are endless ways to make these, and a quick Google search for “energy bites” will give you tons of recipes to choose from, but here’s my favorite way to make them:
Prep time: 5 min
Makes 10 bites
Ingredients:
Directions:
Store in the fridge for up to 1 week, or the freezer for up to 2 months. Enjoy!
If you’re in need of extra protein, which many patients with MDS are, consider adding ⅓ of a cup of protein powder to this recipe.
Nutrition facts: 1 bite provides 150 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrate and 5 grams of protein (not including protein powder)
Two or more of these make a great snack. They’re also handy when you’re on the go. Throw a few into a baggie or portable container and take with you whenever you will be gone from the house for a while. You can also use them when you absolutely do not feel like eating a full meal. It’s definitely better than going without food!
about the author
Katie Braswell
Katie joined HealthTree as the Community Director for AML in 2021. She is a registered dietitian who previously worked at the VA hospital in Dallas, Texas where she coached veterans with blood cancer on how to use nutrition to improve their treatment outcomes and minimize cancer-related side effects. Katie is passionate about health education and patient empowerment. In her spare time, she loves to experiment with new recipes in the kitchen, spend time running outdoors and travel to new places.
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