Useful resources > Cancer and nutrition

Cancer and nutrition

Eating and drinking a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight before, during and after cancer treatment can help your body to cope with the treatment better, fight off infections and reduce the risk of chronic health conditions developing such as heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

What is a balanced diet?

A balanced diet is made up of the five basic food groups – vegetables and fruit, protein, whole grains, milk and dairy, and fats and oils.

Somebody writing in a book in-front of lots of cooking ingredients.

Join our Nourish & Nurture programme

Nourish & Nurture is Big C’s nutrition and wellness programme for all those diagnosed or living with the effects of cancer and those that care for them. The 5 interactive sessions provide advice on healthy eating, how best to manage treatment side effects with diet, practical skills, and physical activity advice. Supported by Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Dieticians and Quadram Institute.

Find out more

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“The resources were great, some great recipes and I loved the journal which is now full up! I also enjoyed the exercises with the physiotherapist.”
helen, nourish & nurture participant

Healthy recipes to try at home

Be inspired by some of the healthy recipes the Quadram Institute has created. Whether you’d like to try the lentil, bean and kale salad or the stuffed mushrooms, there’s plenty to whet your appetite.

A picture of some delicious food made by a Big C volunteer.

Lentil, bean & kale salad

A fresh zingy salad, perfect for a light lunch or to share with friends.

Download the recipe

Stuffed mushrooms

Try these mushrooms stuffed with spinach, breadcrumbs, garlic & herbs

Download the recipe

Online support

Our Online Support Hub offers a full range of support virtually, ensuring you can still access our services from the comfort of your own home.

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Did you attend an appointment and have questions you didn’t want to ask, or not mention something that is bothering you?

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FAQs

Browse our Frequently Asked Questions about the support we offer. If you can’t see the answer you’re looking for, just get in touch.

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Latest fundraising and event news

Five people stand in front of a yellow East Anglian Air Ambulance helicopter on an airbase runway. Three people are wearing blue Big C charity t-shirts and two are wearing orange air ambulance flight suits. The group is positioned beneath the helicopter's rotor blades, with a cloudy sky and airfield visible in the background.

Grant Holt joins Superformula Group and Anglian Chemicals for 93-mile ‘The Big Walk’ in support of Big C and East Anglian Air Ambulance

NCFC legend Grant Holt is joining Tom Burkill and Mark Pollard from Superformula Group and Anglian Chemicals for an ambitious 93-mile fundraising challenge.

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King’s Lynn community raises enough money to fund over 6,000 hours of specialist cancer support as Big C shop celebrates first anniversary

Big C’s charity shop in King’s Lynn is celebrating its first anniversary this month, marking a year of community support that has helped make a real difference to local families affected by cancer.

NNUH Support Centre temporarily relocated from 1 September

Please be aware that our NNUH Support Centre will be closed on Friday 28 August and temporarily relocated from 1 September while essential maintenance work takes place to improve the flooring throughout the centre.

Important data security notice

Important data security notice following Beacon CRM’s data breach.

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At our centres across the region, we offer support to anyone affected by cancer.

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