Umami-rich foods

Difficulty eating affects various age groups undergoing invasive procedures and/or experiencing side effects. As a professional directly involved with food intake, this is very concerning, since good nutrition supports recovery and maintenance of nutritional status, helping to preserve overall health. Adequate intake should occur throughout the process, but acceptance often decreases due to medications, as in chemotherapy: reduced salivation, altered taste, among other effects. Something must be done to encourage intake in these patients. As the fifth basic taste, umami helps greatly: via foods and/or preparations that contain free glutamate or monosodium glutamate, salivation increases, supporting better food intake. Moreover, foods with umami are better accepted by people who struggle to eat, since one of its characteristics is to round out flavors, making preparations more harmonious. We can guide these patients to consume foods and/or preparations rich in umami to improve intake. Children tend to be more selective during chemotherapy. By including umami-rich foods in preparations—such as cheeses, meats, tomatoes, among others—they can benefit, since a healthy diet can be offered and consumed to improve nutritional status and, consequently, this phase of treatment.”