It isn’t a myth that what you eat can affect your vocal chords. Many noted professional singers will follow special diets or exclude certain foods from their diet before they go into competition or concert.
Singing in a choir should of course, always be fun and a pleasure - after all, you’re getting the chance to socialise and be a part of something positive.
That said, you should always strive to be in your best voice. So here are just a few tips on the foods you should eat before singing, and the foods you should avoid.
Foods to love
Fresh fruit
Eating whole, fresh fruits is best for you, rather than looking to drink juices or smoothies. Grab a pear or apple, and enjoy it. Whole fruits tend to have more nutritional value than juices do. You want to chew your fruit, as they contain fiber, vitamins, and more good stuff that helps your body absorb it all better. Juices, especially bought ones, tend to be more sugar and water than anything else, so they go straight to your bloodstream and wear you out quicker. You’ll get a quick high, followed by a sharp low. Not what you need when you’re counting on energy to get you through a performance.
Nuts and peanut butter
Typically, these are foods that some singers are told to steer clear of, but for the most part nuts and peanut butter (make sure the latter is smooth rather than crunchy) are a brilliant source of energy, fibre and nutrients. They’ll fill you up, keep you going and if you’re worried about the potentially drying effect that eating nuts might have, opt to eat them washed down with a glass of cool,but not iced water.
Good quality proteins
You can eat meat! Lots of Healthy lean proteins are any singer’s friend. Not only will they supply you with a lot of energy, but they’ll fire your brain up and help keep you going, especially if you stand for long periods of time. Opt for lean cuts of beef or chicken if you can. Cook them simply by grilling or oven roasting them to keep fat content down.
Honey
We all need a sweet treat, don’t we? Honey, especially if it’s taken in hot water with lemon is a super way to not only get a natural boost of slow release energy, but will give your throat a soothing treat as well. Manuka honey has added antibacterial properties too, ideal if you’re worried about picking up cold and sore throat viruses as a singer.
Foods to steer clear of
Spicy curries
It stands to reason to avoid anything spicy before a concert, or just immediately after. Your vocal chords can react to the spices and high flavourings in curries and chillies. You’ll naturally produce more mucus and phlegm too. Not to mention the potential side effects of indigestion and heartburn afterwards.
Alcohol
It’s perfectly fine to have a beverage or two after a show to wind down and relax, but it’s important to avoid alcohol before you sing. Alcohol (and to a lesser extent) caffeine, can have a drying effect on the vocal chords. It’s best to stick to plain water beforehand.
Fatty foods
It’s tempting to plump for a delicious fry up to start the day, but eating a lot of fatty and processed meats alongside heaps of fried bread can, in the same way spicy foods do, gunk up your vocal chords with phlegm and the fat from the food itself. It’s perfectly fine to eat lean, plainly cooked proteins, just steer clear of meat that’s been cooked in oil, or anything deep fried.
Dairy
Whilst it’s naturally very important to make sure you get enough calcium - right before a performance, try to avoid cheese, cream, or very high fat content milks. These can have a side effect of producing too much mucus which can have a detrimental effect on your voice.
