Eat to Beat Breast Cancer: Recipes for Main Dishes

Eating certain foods and avoiding others can help you prevent breast cancer, but it is sometimes difficult to come up with ideas on how to combine different breast cancer combating foods. We have created this collection of anti-breast-cancer recipes for your inspiration.

Asparagus with Quince Jam and Walnuts

Turbo-charge your anti-cancer diet by eating asparagus, a highly nutritious vegetable that is packed with breast cancer fighting nutrients, including glutathione, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and fiber. In addition to asparagus, this mouth-watering recipe features walnuts have been shown to ward off breast cancer in mice.

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Shrimp and Mushroom Risotto

This simple recipe helps you create a risotto that's full of flavor and phytochemicals. Mushrooms contain compounds that may act in a similar way to aromatose inhibitors, a class of breast cancer drugs which act by blocking the synthesis of estrogen. Shrimp are rich in antioxidants.

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Beet and Carrot Salad with Ginger

This recipe pairs beets with carrots to create a potent weapon for fighting breast cancer. Several studies have found betacyanin, a phytochemical responsible for beets' intense purple color, to be highly effective at preventing cancer while carrots contain falcarinol—a compound that has been shown to inhibit the development of cancer. The anti-cancer compounds in beets and carrots are heat-sensitive and therefore it is best to consume these powerful root vegetables raw like in this salad.

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Beet and Carrot Soup

This recipe combines carrots and beets to create a tasty soup that is also rich in nutrients that help prevent breast cancer. Several studies have found betacyanin, a phytochemical responsible for beets' deep red-purple color, to be highly effective at preventing cancer while carrots contain falcarinol, a compound that has been shown to inhibit the development of cancer.

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Salmon Salad

This salmon salad makes a great anti-cancer meal. Salmon provides an excellent source of omega 3-fatty acids and the carotenoid astaxanthin, both of which are believed to have a protective effect against cancer. Also the cherry tomatoes in this salad have anti-cancer properties due to their high concentration of lycopene, a carotenoid with strong antioxidant properties. In addition, both red onions and capers are packed with quercetin, a bioflavonoid that has anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.

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Wholewheat Pasta with Nettle Pesto

Don't worry, this pasta dish featuring young nettle leaves won't sting your mouth! Young, blanched nettle leaves are completely edible, and they are packed with antioxidants and flavonoids. The whole wheat pasta this recipe calls for is a healthy, high-fiber alternative to the traditional white pasta.

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Stir-Fried Asparagus with Quinoa Noodles

Asparagus is at the top of the list of foods with the highest concentration of glutathione, a 'master antioxidant' that has been stealing the spotlight in recent years. Glutathione has widespread functions, many of which may contribute to a reduced risk of breast cancer. For example, it has been shown to be effective at detoxifying foreign substances including carcinogens, boosting the immune system by influencing lymphocytes, and protecting cells against free radical damage.

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Grandma's Chicken Soup

A laboratory test has now confirmed what grandmas have known for years: chicken soup is good for you. The researchers found that chicken soup and its main ingredients help inhibit the migration of neutrophils—white blood cells that swallow up bacteria and viruses responsible for infectious diseases. Your neutrophil count lies somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000 neutrophils per milliliter of blood, but chemotherapy and some radiotherapy treatments can lower your neutrophil count, making you more prone to getting infections.

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Super-Nutritious Broccoli Salad with Apples and Cranberries

Broccoli contains some extraordinary compounds that have been shown to fight DNA damage, neutralize carcinogenic substances, trigger apoptosis in cancer cells, help prevent the development of benign tumors into malignant tumors, and help prevent the spread of cancer from one organ to another. The cancer-fighting potential of raw broccoli—which this recipe calls for—appears to be particularly high: according to one study, cooking may destroy as much as 90% of sulforaphane—the key anti-cancer substance in broccoli. Besides broccoli, this salad boasts a number of other anti-cancer foods, including cranberries (rich in ellagic acid), sunflower seeds (packed with antioxidants such as vitamin E and selenium), and apples and red onions (excellent dietary sources of quercetin).

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Romaine and Smoked Salmon Salad

Salmon provides an excellent source of the healthful omega 3-fatty acids which can help inhibit the growth of breast tumors. In addition to omega-3s, salmon contains astaxanthin, a carotenoid that has strong antioxidant activity. Also carrots are rich in carotenoids, especially beta-carotene, and can further enhance the cancer-fighting properties of this wholesome salad. The radishes in this dish detoxify the body and provide an abundance of vitamin C, folic acid, and anthocyanins, all of which can help prevent cancer.

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Tomato, Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

Tomatoes have several interesting properties that make them exceptional at helping prevent cancer. Their most notable quality: they contain lycopene which is a strong antioxidant. Also the onions in this salad can help reduce the odds of cancer. Onions are one of the best natural sources of quercetin, a bioflavonoid that has anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. The cancer preventing effects of this salad may be further strengthened by balsamic vinegar, which not only adds a nice tangy dimension to this dish but which also contains compounds that can significantly reduce the glycemic load of the meal. Low glycemic meals help control the production of insulin and insulin-like growth factor, two hormones that can stimulate tumor proliferation, progression, and spreading within the body.

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ACE Salad

This summery salad works like magic to soothe your soul—and to give you extra protection against breast cancer. It is loaded with the ACE vitamins (pro-vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E) that are famous for their strong antioxidant powers.

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For more recipes that may help lower your odds of developing breast cancer, go to the main recipe directory of HealWithFood.org's Guide to Preventing Breast Cancer.

You may also be interested in checking out the section on the anti-breast cancer diet. Be also sure to take a look at the overview of the best foods for breast cancer prevention.