General guidelines

The information on this page is intended as general advice for patients before transplant. Nutrition advice may be different depending on your specific lung disease and other health conditions.

Good nutrition before transplant is crucial for ensuring you’re strong enough for transplant surgery and the long recovery afterwards. At the same time, when you’re living with advanced lung disease, it can be difficult to get the right nutrition for a number of reasons.

• Your body has to work harder to breathe, which uses more calories.
• If you’re coughing a lot or short of breath, your body uses more calories.
• If you’re feeling tired all the time, it can be hard to stay physically active, which can affect your muscle mass.
• You might have a lower appetite, which can lead to a poor diet. This means you aren’t getting the right nutrients.

Eat a balanced diet.

Eating a balanced diet helps ensure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs. A balanced diet includes:

• Dietary fibre
• Fruit, vegetables & pulses
• Dairy products
• Healthy fats
• Lowering salt intake
• Limiting less healthy foods

Get the right amount of protein in your diet

Protein is important to maintain your muscle mass and strength to be fit for surgery. Patients often lose muscle as their lung disease worsens. Having a diet high in protein before transplant is linked with better survival, fewer infections and faster recovery. Sources of protein include beef, chicken, fish, eggs, beans and nuts.

Address your symptoms.

If you’re experiencing shortness of breath, fatigue or dry mouth, these strategies might help:

Stick to regular eating patterns.

• Try your best to eat regular meals and snacks.
• Plan your meals in advance, so there is less temptation to go for processed foods.
• Take time to enjoy your meals sitting at a table. Avoid eating in front of a screen.
• If you need a guide for serving sizes, consider using the food pyramid.
• Be mindful of how often you are eating foods that are high in refined sugar, saturated fat and salt. Consider your portion sizes.

Eat what you enjoy.

• Let your care team know what foods you prefer.
• Keep a variety of snacks that you enjoy handy. You can use these when you don’t feel up to eating a full meal.
• If your appetite changes from day to day, make the most of the days when your appetite is higher by eating a bit more on these days.

Save your energy.

• Make the most of pre-made meals. Supermarkets have many options which you can refrigerate or freeze until you need them.
• Use foods which are easy to prepare, such as
  • Pre-packaged mashed potato
  • Pre-washed and pre-cut vegetables and fruit
  • Tinned foods such as stews, beans, salmon, spaghetti, rice pudding, vegetables, fruit, and soups
• Choose finger foods if you find these easier to manage. Finger foods include toast, sandwiches, biscuits, slices of meat, cheese and pieces of fruit.

Healthy Food Made Easy

The HSE offers a course called Healthy Food Made Easy which focuses on cooking skills, eating behaviours and nutrition knowledge. Search online to see if there's a course happening near you.

The importance of protein

Transplant dietitians' guide to getting more protein in your diet, including protein sources, tips and meal plans

How to eat a balanced diet

Transplant dietitians' guide to eating a balanced diet, including tips and meal plans