Eating for Recurrence Prevention: A Guide to a Post-Cancer Diet

Written by Matt McMillen
Medically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on September 21, 2025
8 min read

As a breast cancer survivor, you likely worry about the disease returning and what can be done to prevent that. Know this: You can play a big role in protecting your health. How? By eating a nutritious diet. In fact, a recent study found that eating well could lower that risk by as much as 41%.

Keep in mind: The anticancer benefits of your diet come from following an eating plan that includes a variety of healthy foods.

“It is important to recognize that, overall, no specific diet or food has consistently been proven to prevent or cause breast cancers,” says Jasmine Sukumar, MD, an assistant professor of breast medical oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

This doesn’t mean you have to go vegetarian, but you should limit meat in favor of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes such as beans and lentils.

Fruits and veggies

“Fruits, vegetables, and plant-based protein can help lower total body inflammation and can help protect against oxidative damage to our cells,” says Amy Bragagnini, MS, RD, CSO, a clinical oncology dietitian who specializes in breast cancer nutrition at Trinity Health Lacks Cancer Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Bragagnini, who is also a spokesperson for the Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition, especially recommends fruits and vegetables containing carotenoids, the pigments that make the produce aisle pop with reds, yellows, and oranges. They’re also found in some green veggies. Here are just a few examples to add to your shopping list:

  • Carrots
  • Leafy greens
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Tomatoes
  • Oranges
  • Sweet peppers

Another family of vegetables to focus on is cruciferous vegetables, which contain carotenoids as well as other nutrients. And there are a lot to choose from. They include:

You have good options on the sweeter side, as well, such as citrus fruits, such as oranges, and berries.

“Citrus fruits in general and the antioxidants they provide reduce inflammation and cancer risk in general,” says Kirbie Whitaker, MS, RD, LDN, a clinical oncology dietitian at the Orlando Health Cancer Institute in Orlando, Florida, where she teaches classes in breast cancer nutrition. “Berries also have high amounts of antioxidants and can be great for your overall health.” 

Whole grains

Grains such as wheat, oats, and rice contain three parts: bran, germ, and endosperm. Most of the nutrition, including fiber and many vitamins and minerals, can be found in the bran and germ.

But much of those nutrients get lost when grains are refined to make, for example, white bread and white rice. Eating whole-grain foods ensures that you get all the nutrients nature intended. Doing so, studies suggest, may protect against breast cancer. These foods include:

  • Whole wheat bread
  • Brown rice
  • Oats
  • Barley
  • Millet
  • Popcorn

Beans, peas, and lentils

These boast lots of fiber, protein, and other nutrients. And they break down slowly in your gut, helping you feel full longer, Bragagnini says. This can help prevent overeating and weight gain. Being overweight, says Whitaker, can up the risk of your breast cancer coming back.

How much of your diet should be plant-based?

Cancer experts recommend what they call the New American Plate: Fill two-thirds of your plate with plant-based foods at each meal. The remaining third can be animal-based proteins, ideally lean, white meat or fish.

Fiber

Fiber has many health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, managing blood pressure, and lowering inflammation. And there’s more:

“Fiber supports a healthy gut microbiome, helps regulate blood sugar, and may lower estrogen levels, all of which can help in the goal of reducing cancer risk,” says Sukumar.

Fiber also helps with weight management, says Whitaker. Being overweight raises the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

“A lot of breast cancer survivors struggle with weight management,” says Whitaker.

The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends getting at least 30 grams of fiber per day.

Rather than red meat, go for lean, unprocessed meats, such as poultry and fish. Bragagnini also suggests considering nonmeat animal-based proteins, such as Greek yogurt, eggs, and cottage cheese.

You don’t have to give up red meat entirely, but plan to have no more than three servings of 4-6 ounces per week. Red meat includes:

  • Beef
  • Lamb
  • Veal
  • Mutton
  • Pork
  • Goat

If you do eat red meat: “Survivors are encouraged to choose lean cuts for heart health and weight management,” says Whitaker.

Processed meat — meat that’s been cured, smoked, salted, or fermented — is a cancer risk, and it may raise your chances of breast cancer recurrence. The safest bet is to eat very small amounts or skip it entirely. Processed meats include:

  • Sausage
  • Bacon
  • Hot dogs
  • Deli meats
  • Ham

Inflammation is part of your body’s response to injury and disease. It’s meant to stop when you’ve healed, but it can become chronic. That’s bad.

“Chronic inflammation can lead to DNA damage, which can increase cancer risk,” says Sukumar. 

That includes the risk of breast cancer.

Excess body fat adds to chronic inflammation, as do certain foods, including:

  • Red meat and processed meat
  • Store-bought pies, cookies, cakes, and other baked treats
  • White bread and pasta made with white flour
  • Deep-fried foods
  • Sugary foods and drinks, such as candy, syrups, and soda

Skipping these foods and following a plant-based eating plan can help you lose weight and lower inflammation. The Mediterranean diet is a good, research-backed example.

“The Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and nuts, shares many qualities with the cancer prevention guidelines I often recommend,” says Sukumar.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3s are essential nutrients that you get from your diet. They have several health benefits.

“They help reduce inflammation, support heart and joint health, and may lower the risk of cancer recurrence,” says Sukumar. “These benefits can also help ease heart-related side effects from chemotherapy or radiation.”

You can get omega-3s from the following foods:

  • Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, cod, and tuna
  • Ground flaxseed
  • Chia seeds
  • Walnuts

You can also get omega-3s in supplement form. Talk to your doctor or dietitian about the right amount for you.

Some fats are better for you than others. A rule of thumb: Choose unsaturated fats and limit or avoid saturated fats.

Unsaturated fat

“While high in calories, unsaturated fats lower blood sugar, make us feel full, provide sustainable energy, and can reduce inflammation,” says Whitaker. “Incorporate them often, in small portions.”

Sources include:

  • Olive oil
  • Avocados
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Fatty fish

Saturated fats

These are fats that stay solid at room temperature, says Whitaker. Most come from animals — think butter and lard — but some are plant-based, such as coconut oil and palm oil. Eating high amounts has been linked to breast cancer. You’ll also find saturated fats in:

  • Red meat
  • Poultry, particularly skin-on
  • Dairy products, like cheese and cream
  • Some fried or baked foods.

Making changes

“It is impossible to avoid all saturated fat, as even the best fats have a little,” says Whitaker. “However, choosing more white meat, low-fat dairy products, less takeout/processed snacks, and cooking with small portions of a higher quality oil [like olive oil] are easy first steps to reducing saturated fat consumption.”

Alcohol, says Sukumar, raises your breast cancer risk by damaging DNA. It also boosts your levels of estrogen and other hormones.

“This increases the risk of the most common breast cancer, which is hormone receptor-positive breast cancer,” says Bragagnini.

Your best practice: “For cancer prevention, it is best to avoid alcohol altogether,” says Sukumar. “I make sure patients are aware of the risks so they can make informed decisions.”

It is a myth that sugar “feeds” cancer, says Sukumar. But you should limit foods and drinks with added sugars, such as high fructose corn syrup.

“Added sugar can be high in calories, which in turn contribute to weight gain and inflammation,” says Sukumar. “One of the easiest ways to cut back is to avoid sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas and energy drinks.”

Whitaker suggests limiting or skipping the following drinks as well:

  • Sweet tea
  • Lemonade
  • Sweetened coffee drinks

Another tip she offers: Avoid fruit-flavored yogurts, which have loads of sugar. Instead, buy plain, low- or non-fat yogurt and add fruit, such as strawberries or bananas.

Lastly, Whitaker says, don’t be afraid to treat yourself occasionally.

“One sweet treat or beverage does not directly cause inflammation or cancer,” she says.

Carbs supply our bodies with energy and are an essential part of our diet. They include sugar, starches, and fiber. In their natural, whole food form — found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans, for example — they’re referred to as complex carbs. Their fiber makes you digest them slowly. That prevents blood sugar spikes and keeps you feeling full longer.

Many foods, though, contain simple or refined carbs. They have had the fiber removed. So, they don’t satisfy your hunger like complex carbs, leading you to eat more and gain weight, says Bragagnini. And remember: Excess weight adds to cancer risk. Sources of simple carbs include:

  • Refined grains, such as white flour and white rice
  • Honey, molasses, and syrups
  • Sugar
  • Candy
  • Regular soda (not diet)
  • Refined breakfast cereals
  • Snacks like potato chips, pretzels, and crackers

“I don’t encourage my patients to limit carbohydrates but rather advise them to choose more complex carbohydrates and limit simple carbs,” says Bragagnini.

These foods have many additives and ingredients but offer little in terms of whole-food content. Examples include:

  • Chips, crackers, cookies, and other packaged snacks
  • Packaged bread, buns, and other baked items with expiration dates of a week or more
  • Cereal with lots of sugar and highly-refined grains
  • Lunch meat, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, jerky, and other processed meats
  • Sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages
  • Candy and desserts

“Ultra-processed foods, which include those high in added sugars, salt, and industrial ingredients, have been linked to increased risk of several cancers, including breast cancer,” says Sukumar. “While the exact mechanisms aren’t fully understood, and it is an area of ongoing research, I do recommend that my patients limit their intake.”