You can’t just go on to stage and sing without preparation and expect to perform your best. You have to know what songs you are singing, the lyrics, the beat, the actions, and everything else as well. However, you have to know how to prepare as well and a big part of that is to know what to eat and perhaps more importantly, what foods to avoid.
That’s what this list is for. You’ll find almost all foods that are bad for your singing voice on this list. I hope you enjoy it and don’t get too scared. Remember, these should be avoided just for singing, this isn’t about health, it’s a singing site!
Ready? Let’s go!
Are All These Foods Going to be Bad Forever?
There are a bunch of foods on this list that I do eat. However, there are certain times when I will definitely avoid them. If I have to practice then I’ll avoid them. And if I have to perform then I’ll avoid them even more. You can usually go with the following rule though:
Keep Away for Three Hours
Three hours is about the time your body needs to digest the food and get rid of any unwanted side effects that you don’t want when singing. Still, you have to listen to your body. There are some foods that won’t affect you at all and some that may still be giving you an unwanted side effect even after three hours. For example, if you drink yourself to a complete stupor, then you won’t be able to do much for hours and hours. So just pay attention!
The Foods Singers need to Avoid – The definitive List
So, what are the foods that you need to avoid if you want to keep your voice in tip top shape?
Dairy Products
Almost everything dairy increases phlegm and that just isn’t good for singing. Whilst it’s not terrible as it can create a protective covering over the vocal cords, it does just that. In other words, when you are singing through a cover you have to break through that. If you don’t, you will sound like there is a frog stuck in your throat and that isn’t a great idea.
More than this, if you have to push through the phlegm, then you may be putting unnecessary strain of the cords and this in turn will cause you to strain your vocal cords. Causing damage isn’t what anyone wants, especially you!
Chocolate and Other Sugary Snacks
Now I’m not talking about milk chocolate here. That’s going to be included in anything dairy. However, here we are dealing with sugar. I’m not going to tell you that it’s unhealthy and fattening. Being fat or overweight is necessarily a bad thing for singing.
After all, Pavarotti was enormous! The problem here is that sugary foods dry you out and do the opposite of dairy. And if your vocal cords are too dry, then they won’t be flexible and pliable. This is bad for you because you just won’t be able to make them vibrate the way you want, and this obviously leads to a bad vocal performance.
Fast Food and things with a High Fat Content
There are two reason why you shouldn’t have fast and high fat content foods. Firstly they tend to be too fatty and gunk up your throat. As well as this, they can give you heartburn, which obviously isn’t’ a great idea to have just before you are about to go and sing on stage.
Soda
I don’t really have anything against diet soda but unfortunately the sugary ones have to come off the list. Although you may feel that they actually give you some lubrication, the truth is that that is just a false claim and that they are in the same category as sugary snacks and sweets. They will dry you out and that’s obviously not what you want
Alcohol
Although I’m not against having a little drink to calm your nerves before you sing, there are down sides to it as well. What alcohol does is that it dries out your vocal cords. Alcohol dehydrates you and obviously this isn’t going to be particularly healthy for you. For this reason it’s a good idea to stay away from it if you can.
Spicy Food
If you get heartburn, then you have to stay away from anything spicy before a performance. However, there is a but here: If you don’t, then you are fine to eat it and enjoy it. There are many things that you are able to eat and if you like spicy food and it doesn’t give you heartburn, then by all means, go ahead and eat it.
Ice Water
The last thing on this list may sound a little strange at first but if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Generally, when something is heated it expands and vice versa. This is definitely true when it comes to the voice. When you drink cold water your vocal cords contract. This makes them less pliable and will leave you unable to sing as well.
Conversely, when you drink a warm drink, you will be able to sing better. However, you must bear in mind that with hot drinks you may get an acid reflux reaction so unless you are sure, better to stay away from them before you have to sing.
Anything that Gives you Acid Reflux
Not everyone gets acid reflux but if you do, then there are a bunch of foods that you have to avoid before you start singing. Some of the most popular, or perhaps infamous ones are:
- Red wine and other alcoholic drinks
- Black pepper
- Garlic
- Raw onions
- Chocolate
- Citrus fruits, as in lemons, oranges, satsumas as well as their juices
- Coffee and tea, particularly if they are caffeinated
- Peppermint
- Mint
- Salt
- Soda
- Milk
- Tomatoes
When Can you Eat Before Singing?
You can eat everything on this list. There is just a time and place for them. My personal preference is to go into a performance slightly hungry. For some reason it gives me an edge and I like that when I have to sing.
You may find that you’ve been told to be full before you sing. There is some truth to that but the most important thing to remember is that it’s your body and your voice. You have to listen to it. When I sing on a full stomach I don’t feel that it comes out so well. You may be different, but I encourage you to try both and see what you come up with.
As a general rule though, you should finish eating about three hours before you have to perform.
In Summary
There are many foods singers should avoid before singing. This isn’t going to limit you; it’s not a diet and I will never tell a singer that they can’t sing because they are too fat or too thin. That’s just not true. However, you do need to know the foods that may and will set you off and avoid them before a performance. After all, you are what you eat and if you don’t look after yourself you won’t be able to sing as well. I hope you have found this post interesting and helpful for you. If you think I’ve left off anything then let me know in the comments section below. Till next time!
Hi, I'm Ben and I've been a singing teacher for over 15 years. In my time I've learned so many things that really speak to students.
That's why I've got this site.
To Help You Succeed in your singing journey.
Feel free to get in touch with me at info@carefreesinging.com
Sing Well and have fun!
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