Speak to our nurses
You can speak to our specialist nurses on our Support Line with any questions you have about coping with treatment side effects, such as taste changes.
Read all of our diet tips
11 tips to help with taste changes
- Try to eat what you can, when you can. Try different foods to find some that you like.
- If you no longer enjoy some foods, try them again after a few weeks. Your taste may have returned to normal.
- If meat tastes bitter or like metal, try marinating it before cooking. For example, leave it to soak for a couple of hours in wine, soy sauce, barbecue sauce or sweet and sour sauce. Or cook it slowly at a low heat.
- Cold meats may taste better with pickle or chutney.
- If you can’t eat meat, there are other types of protein. These include fish, eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, milk, yoghurt and cheese.
- Try adding strong seasonings, such as herbs, spices, lemon or lime juice.
- Cold or warm foods may be easier to eat than hot food.
- If tea and coffee taste strange, try herbal teas, fruit juices or fizzy drinks instead.
- Try to drink plenty of fluids and keep your mouth and tongue clean.
- Use wooden spoons for cooking and plastic spoons to eat with, rather than metal ones.
- Ask your doctor or nurse to check for oral thrush. This can cause taste changes but is usually easy to treat.
''I remember going to the store and just buying one of everything that she loves, just in case she fancied it.’’
Speak to our nurses
Updated March 2025
Review date March 2028