The CRHF diet showed trends toward fat loss with potential muscle preservation, offering a meaningful direction for more targeted dietary therapies.

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Providing fully prepared, nutritionally aligned meals may help protect vulnerable patients from rapid nutritional decline and related complications.

The CRHF diet showed trends toward fat loss with potential muscle preservation, offering a meaningful direction for more targeted dietary therapies.

High adherence and satisfaction were attributed in part to culturally appropriate meals and individualized support, even in a highly demanding treatment context.

Summary of Conclusion/Findings

This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of home‑delivered medically tailored meals (MTMs) for head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, comparing a carbohydrate‑restricted, high‑fat (CRHF) diet with a standard diet (SD). Recruitment (65%) and retention (69%) met feasibility benchmarks, and adherence to meals was high in both groups (92% CRHF, 96% SD), with participants reporting strong satisfaction with provided meals. No diet‑related adverse events occurred, and patients across both arms experienced less weight loss than typically observed during radiotherapy. Exploratory body‑composition findings suggested that the CRHF diet may promote greater fat loss and potential muscle preservation, though results were descriptive due to small sample size. Higher adherence was correlated with less weight loss, highlighting the importance of consistent meal intake during treatment. Overall, the study demonstrated that a MTM intervention is feasible, acceptable, and potentially protective against treatment‑related nutritional decline, warranting a larger efficacy trial.