FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - No matter if you're battling cancer or have a family history of cancer, or are recovering from cancer, having the right nutrition is so important. Lauren Nowak, a nutritionist from the Community Cancer Institute, says making simple selections can have a significant impact. Click here for more MedWatch Today Click here for Community Medical Centers' homepage “With nutrition and cancer, food plays a big role in cancer prevention,” she said. “It also helps with maintaining weight, which is a big component of our cancer prevention.” Nowak suggests whole grains when possible. “We want to try to make at least half of our grain choices, whole grains. That includes things like your brown rice, beans, lentils, and then your whole grain cereals like Cheerios and shredded wheat fruits,” she said. She also says that canned fruits are fine if they can’t get fresh. It is important to make sure patients get enough servings of fruit and vegetables as well. “Fruit is really good. And so your fruits and vegetables both offer something called phytonutrients, which helps protect against cancer. It's kind of our antioxidants, which helps us fight cancer,” she said. “Make sure you get five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.”  She also says that meat is important to include, just be a little more selective. “You should opt for our lean meat. So, chicken, turkey, and red meat is still okay in small amounts. But definitely opt for boneless, skinless when possible.” When it comes to dairy products, make sure to include them in your diet, but as with other foods, be selective. “Opt for leaner or lower fat content, meaning 1% nonfat. And that applies to yogurt, cottage cheese and milk,” she said. The surprising takeaway is that some sugar is actually ok. “So, the myth is that sugar feeds cancer. It doesn't necessarily feed cancer in the way people think that it does. But it is good to reduce our sugar intake because sugar can lead to obesity, diabetes, all of that, which can increase our risk for different types of cancer. So, opting for sugar-free or lower sugar options and being mindful of that is still very important.”