Taste changes

Taste changes Experiencing a change in taste is common in cancer. This can be due to the disease itself or treatments/medications.

Many people on chemotherapy can experience a metallic taste or be unable to taste anything. Radiotherapy to the mouth and throat area can also cause taste changes. In many cases, this can take a while to return but in some cases this can be permanent.

Smell and taste go together. If your sense of smell is reduced, your taste will be weakened too. Your sense of smell may also have changed, and you may smell things differently.

What can I do?

If you are getting an unpleasant taste or have lost most of your taste, you might not enjoy eating some foods or meals. However, it’s very important to keep eating enough so that your body has the energy and nutrients it needs to support you through your treatment and minimise weight loss.

By following the steps below, you can discover what taste, smells and textures of food you like.

I have little to no taste and/or smell little

To add a strong or fresh taste

Vinegar, lemon, lime, yoghurt, fresh fruit
Spring onion, celery, celeriac, bell pepper, parsnip, tomato, onion, fennel
Chutney, candied ginger, mustard, piccalilli, wasabi
Spicy sauces, such as chilli sauce and hot sauce
Spicy seasoned foods, such as spicy seasoned nuts or seeds
Sweet and sour pickles and onions
Fruit compote

Add something crispy

Croutons
(Chopped) nuts
Pieces of cucumber

Add fresh herbs and spices with a strong taste

Basil, cayenne pepper, chilli pepper, dill, tarragon, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, curry, garlic, coriander, cloves, bay leaves, mint, nutmeg, rosemary, celery, star anise, thyme, fresh pepper, white pepper

Try something new

Baking or grilling (instead of boiling) gives more flavour
Piccalilli or chutney with your meals
Desserts, cereals and porridge with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, or nutmeg
Cranberry sauce, apple sauce or fruit chutney with meals
Marinate meat or meat substitutes in, for example, fruit juice with vinegar or soy sauce
Grilling vegetables with fresh herbs

Everything tastes different. I prefer sweet

Add sweet flavours to your meal

White or brown sugar, jam, honey, syrup (all kinds)
Milk or cream sauce or butter with vegetables
Fresh fruit, dried fruit (raisins, apricots, apple)
Fruit compotes, such as apple, pear, or cranberry compote
Chutney, sweet soy sauce, ginger syrup, sweet satay sauce

Add fresh herbs and spices with a strong taste

Basil
Dill
Cardamom
Cumin

Try the following foods

Pumpkin
Red pepper
Onion
Carrot
Sweet potato
Sweet fizzy drinks
Dried fruits
Cooked pear
Apple compote

Everything tastes different. I prefer sour

Add sour flavours to your meal

Lemon, lime
Crème fraiche, sour cream, yoghurt
Salad dressing with olive oil, vinegar, wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar, salt, pepper, vinegar, gherkins, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, mustard, capers, lime, silverskin pickled onions, ketchup, sour wine sauce, piccalilli

Add fresh herbs

Lemon
Dill
Parsley

Try the following foods

Endives
Purslane
Tomato
Sauerkraut
Berries
Raw vegetables
Aged cheese
Sour drinks, such as buttermilk, lemonade, and bitter lemon

Everything tastes different. I prefer salty

Everything tastes different. I prefer bitter

Everything tastes different. I prefer savoury (umami)

Everything tastes too strong

Use neutral or bland flavours

Mashed potatoes
Prepare vegetables that have a stronger taste in a white sauce, eggs, fruits, honey, neutral dairy products: milk, cream, porridge, young cheese, processed cheese
Neutral grain products: bread, rice, pasta
Salads, carrots, pease

Check the temperature of your meals

Hot/warm dishes have a stronger taste than cold dishes
Try out the temperature at which food tastes best for you

The smell of food makes my appetite disappear. I cannot tolerate strong smells from food

I don’t like the taste of any food. Everything tastes like metal

I don’t like the taste of any food. Everything tastes bad

It’s a generic bad taste, cardboard box taste, bitter taste

Add fresh, sour and fruit flavours to your meal

Fresh and sour flavours, such as pickles, fresh fruit, yoghurt, silverskin onions
Strong flavours, such as basil, lemon, peppermint, sweet and sour sauces
Fruit flavours, such as cranberry sauce, apple sauce, and fruit chutney
Savoury flavours can also help, such as anchovies, mustard, salt

To reduce a bitter taste

Garlic
Coriander
Cream
Watercress

Try the following foods

Add lemon or cucumber to water
Herring and beetroot salad
Combine meat or meat substitutes with something fresh such as cranberry sauce, apple sauce or fruit chutney or marinate in for example fruit juice with vinegar
Yoghurt with fruit

(A bad taste can also result from a dry mouth. Good oral hygiene and rinsing or drinking before eating to wash away the taste can help to improve the taste)

Recipes for people living with cancer

If you’re dealing with taste changes as a result of cancer and its treatment, you may be interested in our recipe guides that are written for people living with cancer. They’re created by the chef Ryan Riley.

Order a free Ryan Riley recipe booklet