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Nutrition and daily life

Fast food — food card: occasionally and with care

Doner, lavash wraps, burgers and fries: sometimes you just want a familiar taste. Eating out during treatment is possible, but the choice matters. This card explains how to choose fast food more safely.

Last updated: ~1 min read
Freshly cooked hot food is safer
Figure 1.Freshly cooked hot food is safer.

01Short answer

Fast food can be eaten occasionally, and a familiar taste helps when appetite is low. Choose hot food cooked fresh to order and eat it straight away. During neutropenia avoid salad bars, buffets, raw herbs, sauce dispensers and undercooked meat. Fast food is very salty and fatty and should not be the main diet.

02Simple explanation

Choose freshly cooked hot food.

Salad bars and buffets: not during neutropenia.

Meat must be cooked through.

Fast food is occasional, not the main diet.

03Scientific explanation

The LLS and ACS advise people with weak immunity to avoid salad bars, buffets and raw herbs.

FDA/USDA: meat and poultry must be fully cooked; when eating out, ask for it well done.

WHO: limiting salt, saturated fat and added sugar is the basis of a healthy diet.

04What happens in the body?

What to choose

Freshly fried chicken, kebab, baked potato, hot soup and drinks in sealed packs.

A salad bar in the background, a hot dish in front.
Figure 2.A hot dish cooked to order instead of a buffet.

What to avoid

Salad bars, buffets, raw herbs, sauce dispensers, soft-serve ice cream and undercooked burgers during neutropenia.

A freshly grilled chicken kebab steaming on a plate.
Figure 3.Choose meat cooked through.

Where to eat

A clean, busy place that cooks food to order.

Takeaway

Eat hot food promptly; do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

05Fast food: four steps

Clean place, swap raw salad, cooked through, eat straight away.

Clean place — Cooks to order.1Clean placeCooks to order.
Not raw salad — Cooked vegetables.2Not raw saladCooked vegetables.
Cooked through — Hot.3Cooked throughHot.
Eat now — No waiting.4Eat nowNo waiting.
AppetiteFamiliar taste.
ModerationOccasionally.
SafetyHot and fresh.

06Key points at a glance

TopicIn brief
What to chooseFreshly fried chicken, kebab, baked potato, hot soup and drinks in sealed packs.
What to avoidSalad bars, buffets, raw herbs, sauce dispensers, soft-serve ice cream and undercooked burgers during neutropenia.
Where to eatA clean, busy place that cooks food to order.
TakeawayEat hot food promptly; do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

07Key terms

Fast food
Quickly prepared public food.
Salad bar
A self-service counter of raw food.
Cooked through
Hot to the centre, no pink meat.
Neutropenia
Low neutrophils.
Sodium
The main component of salt.

08Key points

  • Choose freshly cooked hot food.
  • Avoid salad bars and buffets.
  • Order meat well done.
  • Eat straight away.
  • Fast food is occasional.

09Frequently asked questions

Can I eat doner?

Freshly cut, fully hot meat without raw herbs is usually fine; during neutropenia ask your team.

Are fries allowed?

Yes, hot; but they are high in salt and fat.

Soft-serve ice cream?

Avoid machine ice cream during neutropenia.

10Questions for your doctor

Take these questions to your appointment. The ones you save are collected on the “My questions” page and stay on this device only.

  1. Can I eat doner?

  2. Are fries allowed?

  3. Soft-serve ice cream?

My questions

12Sources

  1. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Diet Guidelines for Immunosuppressed Patients
  2. U.S. FDA / USDA. Food Safety for Older Adults and People with Cancer, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Organ Transplants, and Autoimmune Diseases
  3. American Cancer Society. Food Safety During Cancer Treatment
  4. National Cancer Institute. Eating Hints: Before, During, and After Cancer Treatment
  5. World Health Organization. Healthy diet fact sheet
  6. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — The Nutrition Source. Protein
  7. U.S. FDA. Advice about Eating Fish
  8. MedlinePlus. Prednisone
  9. World Health Organization. Brucellosis fact sheet
  10. NHS. The Eatwell Guide
Medical disclaimerThis information is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice.
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