Cindy Miller, MPH

February is National Cancer Prevention Month.

It can feel overwhelming when thinking about how to eat to reduce cancer risk. The bad news is that no one food can prevent cancer alone. However, the good news is that eating patterns that reduce risk are not that different from general healthy eating recommendations.

You don’t have to become an expert in biochemistry or medicine to eat in a healthy way. Here are some easy to remember guidelines from the American Institute of Cancer Research on recommended foods for cancer prevention, and some of my suggestions of particularly interesting foods and how to incorporate more health-supportive habits into your life.

Whole grains includes brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat breads and pastas, and other unrefined grains.

Spotlight food: Quinoa

Swapping out whole grains in place of refined grains is one of the best changes you can make to the way you eat because of the increase in fiber and other nutrients. Quinoa is an especially good switch to make. Quinoa has all the fiber you get from whole grains, but also high in protein, B vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Some of these antioxidants and other compounds in quinoa have been found to directly reduce cancer risk (Agarwal et al., 2023). It’s an easy swap to make, as it can replace rice in many cases. It can also be eaten as a breakfast dish, similar to oatmeal.

Recommendations

• Food labels can be confusing to read, so when looking for whole grains, it’s important that the label says the word “whole” to show that it hasn’t been refined.
• Try brown rice instead of white.
• Replace white rice with quinoa if you don’t like brown rice.
• Buy a bag of whole wheat flour and replace some of the white flour with whole grain in recipes.

Aim for colors, especially dark or brightly-colored fruit like raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and citrus fruits.

Spotlight Food: Apples

Berries get a lot of attention for their flavor, color, and antioxidants, but berries can be expensive. So what’s an inexpensive, but health-supportive? Apples! The old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is not just a marketing slogan. Apples contain multiple powerful anti-cancer compounds (Gado et al., 2023). Enjoy chopped apples in oatmeal, pancake mix, or fall-inspired sandwiches, or snack on an apple with cheese or nut butter.

Recommendations

• Fruit is a easy add-on to most meals, especially breakfast.
• Mix into smoothies, yogurt, or cottage cheese.
• Try a fresh, seasonal, fruit salad as a dessert instead of baked goods.
• Keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter to make the healthy choice the easier one.
• Buy dried or freeze-dried fruit to get more for your money.

Like with fruit, aim for colors. Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables whenever possible.

Spotlight food: Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables are getting more attention for their health benefits. This family of vegetables includes cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, arugula, and brussels sprouts. They are very nutrient-dense and have multiple health benefits (Dutter, 2024). The anti-cancer compounds in these vegetables have been shown to not only reduce cancer growth, but damage cancer cells that have already grown, and in multiple parts of the body. However, much of these healthy compounds are lost when they are cooked, so these vegetables are better eaten raw (Soundararajan & Kim, 2018). Try shredded cabbage on sandwiches or tacos instead of lettuce. Cut off broccoli crowns to add to a salad. Enjoy fresh cauliflower with hummus or other dip as a snack.

Recommendations

• Aim for at least one orange and one green vegetable every day.
• Add root and leafy green vegetables to soups.
• Blend vegetables like onion, carrot, spinach into pasta or pizza sauces.
• Frozen vegetables can be an economical way to get all the benefits of fresh, though you should avoid canned when possible.

There are a variety of beans, lentils and soy products available, all with their unique flavors and uses.

Spotlight food: Soy

Soy has a reputation it doesn’t truly deserve. Some people avoid soy products because they are concerned about possible negative health effects. However, the research on soy is positive, as long as these products are minimally processed. For example, tofu, tempeh, miso, and edamame are considered minimally processed, and help reduce your risk. Other more processed soy products like soy protein or soy-based vegetable burgers do not have the same benefits (Fan et al., 2022). Try some tofu or tempeh dishes. Tempeh makes great tacos. Both work well in Asian noodle dishes, curries, sandwiches, and on salads. Miso adds depth of flavor to soups when used instead of salt.

Recommendations

• You don’t have to go vegetarian to get the benefits of beans, lentils, and soy products. They can often be eaten in meat dishes.
• Use tofu in a stir-fry or add can of rinsed beans to soups or stews.
• Slice and roast tempeh in a marinade and put on sandwiches instead of deli meat.
• Having bean- and lentil-centered meals rather than meat-centered meals also saves on grocery bills.

Spotlight food: Spices

Herbs, spices, teas, and coffees provide antioxidants that are good for overall health.

There’s a lot of research out there on teas, coffee, and spices, especially as they relate to cancer risk reduction. There is not a lot of agreement about whether they reduce cancer risk or not, and there’s different information out there for each one. However, we do know that there is an antioxidant benefit to using herbs and spices in cooking, baking, and in herbal teas, which can play a role in risk reduction (Kaefer & Milner, 2009).

Recommendations

• Get to know herbs and spices, season everything!
• Using seasonings like garlic, ginger, seaweeds, and herbs can make it easier to reduce added salt.
• Try different cuisines that are known for using herbs and spices, such as Indian, Middle Eastern, and Greek.
• Buy seasoning blends like Japanese gomasio to sprinkle on take-out meals.
• Keep a couple different types of non-caffeinated tea in the home to take to work or drink after dinner.

These meal ideas include two or more of these risk-reducing foods.

• Brown rice stir fry with broccoli and tofu – recipe here
• Dark berries with yogurt and flax meal, recipe here
• Roasted winter squash with lentils and greens, recipe here
• Vegetable black bean soup with quinoa, recipe here
• Apple cinnamon whole wheat pancakes, recipe here
• Sandwiches with cabbage and other vegetables, ideas here
• Tempeh tacos with sweet potatoes and cilantro, recipe here
• Vegetable korma with curry seasonings, recipe here
• Quinoa breakfast bowl with cinnamon, recipe here

Interested in book recommendations related to cancer?

Check out these Timberland Regional Library recommendations.

References 

Agarwal, A., et al. (2023). Nutritional and Functional New Perspectives and Potential Health Benefits of Quinoa and Chia Seeds. Antioxidants, 12(7), 1413. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12071413

American Institute for Cancer Research. (n.d.). AICR’s Foods that Fight Cancer and Foods to Steer Clear of, Explained. https://www.aicr.org/cancer-prevention/food-facts/

Dutter, E. (2024). Superfoods: Why you should eat cruciferous vegetables. Mayo Clinic Health System. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/superfoods-why-you-should-eat-cruciferous-vegetables

Fan, Y., et al. (2022). Intake of Soy, Soy Isoflavones, and Soy Protein and Risk of Cancer Incidence and Mortality. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 847421. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.847421

Gado, F., et al. (2023). Targeting Nrf2 and NF-KB Signaling Pathways in Cancer Prevention: The Role of Apple Phytochemicals. Molecules, 28(3), 1356. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28031356

Kaefer, C., and Milner, J. (2009). Role of Herbs and Spices in Cancer Prevention. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 19(6), pages 347-361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2007.11.003

Soundararajan, P., and Kim, J. (2018). Anti-Carcinogenic Glucosinolates in Cruciferous Vegetables and their Antagonistic Effects on Prevention of Cancers. Molecules, 23(11), 2983. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23112983