Healthy Recipes and Food Tips to Fight Cancer

The holidays are in full swing and festive food is everywhere. Some are naughty, some are nice, and some may even help fight cancer.

“While these so-called holiday foods are delicious to eat, they can also have the added bonus of containing cancer-preventing nutrients,” says Stephanie Meyers, MS, RD/LDN, a nutritionist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Meyers and her colleagues have put together a list of foods and recipes that definitely belong on the “good” list this holiday season.

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Go Nuts

Dust off that family nutcracker. Recent research finds that walnuts may help to prevent kidney and colon cancers. In addition, the study suggests that walnuts are a rich source of antioxidants that may help protect cells from oxidative damage. Walnuts contain essential fatty acids, or the so-called “good fats,” which are known to help reduce blood pressure and boost the immune system.

So go nuts with this simple pesto recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups packed basil leaves, rinsed and stripped from the stems
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
• 2 Tbsp softened butter or trans fat-free spread

Directions:

Place basil, olive oil, walnuts, garlic, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until thoroughly combined. Add parmesan and softened butter and blend for 5-10 additional seconds. Just before serving, add 2 Tbsp of the hot water you used to cook the pasta. Serve with pasta or spread on toasted bread.

Yield

4-6 servings

Adapted from:

The Omega Diet, 1998 by Artemis Simopoulous and Jo Robinson

Pumpkin – It’s not just for pie

Pumpkin is a holiday staple for many families. It is also one of the tastiest ways to enhance the body’s own natural cancer-fighting ability, notes Meyers. Pumpkins are packed with nutrients called carotenoids, which have been linked to the prevention of colon, prostate, breast, and lung cancer.

Although many people only eat pumpkin when it is made into a pie, it can also be enjoyed in a variety of other ways, including roasted pumpkin, pumpkin soup and this

high-fiber pumpkin muffin recipe…

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup high fiber cereal (blenderized)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (or pumpkin pie filling)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spray muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with paper muffin cups.
3. Mix together flour, cereal, baking powder and sugar. Set aside.
4. In separate bowl combine egg, canola oil, skim milk and pumpkin.
5. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
6. Distribute batter evenly among twelve muffin cups.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Yield

12 servings
Serving size: 1 muffin

It’s the bright color that gives pumpkins their rich nutrients, so look for other orange vegetables, like sweet potatoes, carrots and butternut and acorn squash. All are also high in carotenoids.

“It is more beneficial to consume carotenoids from whole foods rather than from supplements, because carotenoids in pill form do not appear to have the same protective properties,” explains Meyers. In fact, that is true of many of the nutrients in foods. Eating whole foods typically provides greater health benefits than taking a dietary supplement.

An Apple a Day

Apples are another food packed with cancer-preventing properties, thanks to the nutrient quercitin, which protects DNA in the body’s cells from damage that could lead to the development of cancer. Recent research suggests the carbohydrates in apples may help prevent colorectal cancer development as well. To get the most protection against cancer from apples,eat them with the skin on and not combined with sugar and fats, like in a pie.

Cranberries – Not just for the holidays

Meyers reminds her patients at Dana-Farber that cranberries aren’t just for the holidays and encourages them to eat the berries year-round. Cranberries contain benzoic acid, which has been shown to inhibit the growth of lung cancer, colon cancer, and some forms of leukemia.

She recommends buying bags of fresh cranberries now, while they are in season and at their nutritional peak, and popping them in the freezer for later use. This will help ensure that the berries will provide the highest level of cancer protection whenever they’re used.

Look beyond sugar-laden cranberry sauce and get a boost from this high-fiber mix:

Cranberry-Almond Cereal Mix

Ingredients:

• 1 cup regular rolled oats
• 1 cup quick-cooking barley
• 1 cup bulgur or cracked wheat
• 1 cup dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Stir all ingredients together and store in air-tight container at room temperature for up to 6 months. Recipe makes about 4 2/3 cups cereal mix, which will yield approximately 14 individual servings once cooked.

Directions

1. Combine 3/4 cup water* and 1/3 cup cereal mix in microwave-safe bowl.
2. Microwave uncovered on 50 percent power for 9 to 11 minutes or until cereal is desired consistency. Stir once during cooking.

*To boost calories and protein, make with milk instead of water.

Source:

The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 1996.

Positively Pomegranate

Pomegranates are everywhere, from drinks to desserts, and there is good reason why. Recent research suggests that drinking pomegranate juice may be a delicious way to help prevent prostate cancer, as well as prevent the metastasis and spread of prostate cancer cells.

Try combining pomegranates and apples for a delicious, good-for-you dessert that is layered with flavonoids, vitamin C, and other antioxidants that can help lower the risk of cancer.

Apple and Pomegranate Crisp

Ingredients:

• 4 medium apples — peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/2 pomegranate, skin and light-colored membrane removed
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the apples, pomegranate seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. In the same bowl, stir together the oats, flour and sugar. Rub in the butter between your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the fruit.
4. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the apples are soft. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield

8 servings

Adapted from:

Allrecipes.com

Color Your World

The overall key to finding cancer-fighting foods is to look for a lot of color. In the winter, root vegetables like carrots, parsnips and beets can add a burst of color and taste. The brighter and richer the pigment, the higher the level of nutrients. “You want to load up your plate with as much colorful plant-based foods as you can,” explains Meyers. “Eating a plant-based diet is the best way to help lower your risk of cancer all year long.”

Try this tasty, colorful roasted vegetable salad:

Ingredients:

• 1 large acorn squash (about 1 pounds)
• 2 medium fennel bulbs (rinsed and trimmed, leaving 1/8 inch of the root base to hold the fennel together)
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 2 medium red onions, peeled

Flavorings (mixed together)

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 to 6 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the squash. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each half into 3 or 4 wedges and put in a large bowl.

• Cut each fennel bulb lengthwise in half, then cut the fennel into slices about 1/4 inch thick and 2 inches long. Put in the bowl with the squash.

• Peel the sweet potatoes and cut each in half. Cut each half into 3 or 4 wedges and put in the bowl. Cut the red onion in half, then cut each half lengthwise into 1/4 inch-thick slices. Put in the bowl with the other ingredients.

• Pour in the flavorings and toss lightly to coat. Brush cookie sheet liberally with olive oil. Arrange the vegetables on the cookie sheet. Bake the vegetables for 45 to 50 minutes, flipping them over after 30 minutes. The vegetables should be tender when pierced with a knife, and the tops should be brown and slightly crisp at the edges.

• Arrange the vegetables randomly on a large serving platter. Spoon the dressing on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield

8 servings
Serving size: 1 cup

Adapted from:

Spices of Life by Nina Simonds

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (www.dana-farber.org) is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and is among the leading cancer research and care centers in the United States. It is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute. It provides adult cancer care with Brigham and Women’s Hospital as Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center and it provides pediatric care with Children’s Hospital Boston as Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center. Dana-Farber is the top ranked cancer center in New England, according to U.S. News & World Report, and one of the largest recipients among independent hospitals of National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health grant funding.

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Tags: Cancer, Cancer and healthy food, Food Tips to Fight Cancer, Recipes to Fight Cancer