Programs and Services

Nutrition Services

Sore Mouth and Mucositis

• Be fastidious with mouth care to prevent secondary bacterial infection of mouth lesions.
• Eat soft, bland foods such as creamed soups, cooked cereals, yogurt, pudding, mashed potatoes, eggs, custards, casseroles, smoothies and shakes.
• Drink liquids and semi-soft solids through a straw to bypass mouth areas with sores and lesions.
• Blend or moisten foods with yogurt, tofu, pudding, soft cereals such as oatmeal and cream of wheat, warm water, juice, milk, soy milk, rice milk, etc.
• Try non-acidic juices such as apple, apricot, peach or pear nectar, and grape juice (do not use grape juice if diarrhea is present).
• Avoid tart, acidic, or salty beverages and foods such as citrus, avoid pickled items, avoid tomato-based foods, avoid alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco.
• Try powdered glutamine dissolved in liquid at 10 grams three times daily, swish and swallow, may be contraindicated if renal and/or hepatic function is severely impaired.
• Try anti-inflammatory approach such as capsaicin taffy recipe.
• Include soft, probiotic containing foods such as yogurt and kefir (fermented milk). If you have severe immunosuppression (your white blood cell counts are very low), do not include probiotics.