MDS can cause fatigue and reduce your appetite. Here are some nutrient-dense recipes that can boost your energy, support your immune function, and help you better tolerate treatments.
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is a group of blood cancers.
Red and white blood cells and platelets start as immature blood stem cells. In MDS, your blood stem cells do not mature into full, healthy red and white blood cells and platelets. That leaves you with immature cells that don’t work as they should. As a result, your levels of healthy red and white blood cells and platelets are lower than usual.
MDS can make it harder for your body to fight off infections. Preventing foodborne illness is very important. When preparing food, consider the following best practices:
- Keep cooked and raw foods separate.
- Make sure that all food is cooked to a safe temperature.
- Before eating raw fruits and vegetables, peel them or wash them thoroughly.
Many people with MDS have low levels of red blood cells. This cause fatigue, which may make it harder to prepare meals. Also, MDS can often cause a low appetite, making it harder for you to meet your nutrient needs.
Diet can play a role in meeting your energy and nutrient needs, but there is no specific diet designed for MDS.
When you have MDS, it’s best to eat a balanced diet that includes:
- a variety of fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients
- whole grains such as oats, barley, whole wheat, and brown rice for energy, fiber, vitamins, and minerals
- healthy fats from sources such as nuts, seeds, fish, olive oil, and avocado
- meats, poultry, fish, soy products, dairy products, nuts, beans, and seeds for protein and energy
Below are some recipe ideas that can help you maintain your nutrient and energy levels.
Making overnight oats is a simple way to get your breakfast started the night before. There are many variations on overnight oats. If you like, you can top your oats with nuts, seeds, and dried or fresh fruit before eating them.
You can store this dish in a covered container in the fridge for 4 or 5 days. You can make several servings ahead of time so you’ll have many breakfasts ready to go.
Start to finish: 5 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup milk of your choice
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- Mix oats, carrot, chia seeds, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a small Mason jar or another container with a lid.
- Add milk, maple syrup, and vanilla and stir to combine. Make sure there’s enough liquid to cover the oats. If not, add a bit more milk.
- Cover the jar and keep it in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Enjoy cold from the fridge, or heat in the microwave before eating.
Adapted from the Moroccan Harira Soup recipe from lentils.org.
Consider batch-cooking meals such as soups and stews. These freeze well, so you’ll have nutritious meals ready to heat up when you need them. Doing this can help you eat well if your energy is low.
This soup is rich in fiber and a great source of protein.
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 to 2 carrots, diced
- 1 to 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 (19-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup dry whole red lentils
- 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add broth, water, chickpeas, and lentils and stir to combine.
- Add tomatoes, turmeric, cumin, ginger, coriander, paprika, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until lentils are tender.
- Stir in tomato paste and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in cilantro. Taste and adjust any spices as desired.
Sheet-pan meals are an easy way to prepare a balanced meal without all the pots and pans to clean up.
If you like this way of cooking, there are plenty of sheet-pan recipes out there. A variety of protein sources, including fish, chicken, beans, tofu, and meats, work in these recipes. Potatoes or sweet potatoes and a variety of vegetables are also part of the complete meals.
This dish features chicken, potatoes, and broccoli. It makes great leftovers to eat as is or to add to a wrap, a salad, or pasta the next day.
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 lb baby potatoes, cut in half
- 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 cups broccoli, cut into roughly equal-sized florets
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk together oil, lemon juice, mustard, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to make the lemon sauce.
- Place potatoes on the prepared sheet pan and drizzle them with half of the lemon sauce. Stir to ensure that potatoes are evenly covered with sauce. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Push potatoes to the side of the pan to make room for other ingredients.
- Add chicken, broccoli, and onion to the pan. Drizzle with the other half of the lemon sauce and stir.
- Return the pan to the oven and roast for about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and toss the ingredients, then roast for another 10 minutes, or until chicken is heated through to 165°F (74°C).
Adapted from Well Plated by Erin’s Energy Balls recipe.
It’s a good idea to keep quick snacks around. If you fill up quickly during your regular meals and find it hard to eat enough, snacks can provide extra nutrients and calories. These energy bites are quick to put together and freeze well.
Start to finish: 45 minutes (includes 30 minutes of chilling time)
Serves: Makes 15 to 20 (1-inch) balls
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup raisins
Directions
- In a medium bowl, stir together oats, flaxseed, and cinnamon.
- Add peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla and stir well.
- Stir in chocolate chips and raisins.
- Chill dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes so it’s easier to work with.
- Use a tablespoon or an ice cream scoop (depending on the desired size) to scoop out balls of dough. Roll them with your hands to smooth them out.
- Store energy balls for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, or longer in the freezer.
If your appetite is low, you may find it easier to get more of your nutrients from beverages than from solid foods. Smoothies can be a great way to get the calories and nutrients your body needs.
This smoothie includes colorful berries for antioxidants and fiber. You can use skim milk powder or another protein powder to boost the protein content to support your immune system and help maintain your muscle mass.
Start to finish: 10 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 medium banana (mostly yellow, but a few brown spots are OK)
- 1 cup frozen berries
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup skim milk powder (powdered milk)
Directions
- Add all ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until well combined.
MDS is a group of blood cancers that can cause low blood cell levels, leading to fatigue.
To support your health, aim to eat a variety of nutritious foods. Good nutrition can improve your energy levels, support your immune function, and help you better tolerate any treatments.