Diet and Cancer Prevention: What You Need to Know

Reduce Your Risk of Cancer through Healthy Eating

Reduce Your Risk of Cancer through Healthy Eating

Can diet make a difference? The links between cancer prevention and specific dietary patterns are still pretty murky. Even people with extensive health knowledge, who seem to get everything right, get cancer. We know there are some things we can’t control. We can’t change risk factors like our family history. But it’s clear that eating well is part of doing everything you can to tip the odds in your favor—and the best benefit is knowing that you’re doing what you can to promote overall good health.

A well-nourished, well-rested body is the best nutritional strategy for keeping your immune system strong. Eat a variety of foods that provide a natural abundance of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, particularly those rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene and selenium, antioxidants that, according to some studies, may help prevent disease, including some cancers. These healthy recipes will get you started—they all contain at least 15% daily value of at least one of those vitamins or minerals.

News You Can Use

The American Institute for Cancer Research just published its most up-to-date food, nutrition and activity recommendations to help prevent cancer. Here are 8 quick tips from the report:

• Be as lean as possible without becoming underweight.
• Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day.
• Avoid sugary drinks. Limit consumption of energy-dense foods (particularly processed foods high in  added sugar, or low in fiber, or high in fat).
• Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes, such as beans.
• Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats.
• If alcohol is consumed at all, limit alcoholic drinks to 2 for men and 1 for women a day.
• Limit consumption of salty foods and foods processed with salt (sodium).
• Don't use supplements to protect against cancer.

[source: American Institute of Cancer Research]

See the next page for healthy recipe ideas.

 

 

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Cancer Prevention Recipes

Here are a few cancer prevention recipes that EatingWell's food and nutrition editors assembled that are part of Discovery Health's National Body Challenge.

Main Dishes:

Apple-&-Fennel Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Bistro Flank Steak Sandwich

Chicken Fajita Wraps

Grandma Ginger’s Fish Casserole

Mushroom, Sausage & Spinach Lasagna

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Cheesy Polenta

Shrimp Cobb Salad

Spanish Tortilla

Tilapia & Summer Vegetable Packets

Warm Snow Pea & Chicken Salad

Sides & Salads:

Sides & Salads:

Bold Winter Greens Salad

Broccoli Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon-Horseradish Cream

Orange-Scented Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

Raspberry, Avocado & Mango Salad

Wild Rice with Dried Apricots & Pistachios

Yukon Gold & Sweet Potato Mash

Desserts:

Grapefruit Brulee

Raspberries & Mangoes

Roasted Pineapple Shortcakes

Rustic Berry Tart

Spiced Orange Compote

Tropical Fruits with Pistachios & Coconut

 

Recipes and Diet Tips courtesy of EatingWell.com