A singer's meal would be balanced in 1) lean meat, chicken, fresh fish, eggs, or a high quality vegetable protein such as tempeh or tofu; 2) a complex starchy carbohydrate such as whole grain bread, brown rice or potato (not much butter, and no sour cream); and 3) plenty of fresh vegetables and/or fruits (citrus fruits ...
Foods to avoid include foods with high fat content, like fried or greasy foods, eggs, butter and other dairy products; and acidic meals like spicy foods, peppers, concentrated tomato dishes, vinegar, and citrus fruits. It's almost impossible to sing well while burping.
The best drinks for your singing voice are water (especially room-temperature water, perhaps with a squeeze or two of lemon) and tea, but be careful about consuming too much caffeine, which can dehydrate you. You can find wonderful herbal teas designed for singers.
The creamy texture of bananas can produce extra mucus and coat your throat, which leads to unclear vocals. The thickness of a banana will inhibit your singing ability and are best to be avoided right before your performance. Eating a banana is essentially the same as eating dairy before singing, both are bad news.
Fruits containing large amounts of water are excellent hydration-conscious snacks, including apples, pears, watermelon, peaches, melons, grapes, blueberries, oranges, pineapples, plums and raspberries. These fruits are a good source of water that helps to keep lubricated the vocal cords.
Fruits With Vocal Benefits
Avocados, perhaps due to their natural oils and properties, seem to moisturize the throat and give it an extra layer of protection like a balm.
Some foods and beverages to avoid prior to singing are mucous producing foods such as dairy, stimulants such as caffeine and spicy foods, soft drinks, refined sugars, chocolate, iced drinks and alcohol (including wine and beer).
The best drinks before singing are warm drinks without caffeine or milk, warm water and herbal teas containing manuka honey, lemon and ginger are ideal. Warm or room-temperature water will hydrate your vocal cords, making them more supple and less liable to injury.
For most people, eating dairy products like milk, yogurt, ice cream or cottage cheese will create mucus, and should be avoided within a couple of hours before singing. For most, hard cheeses don't do that. Mucus coats your throat and makes it harder to sing.
Honey can help singers recover quicker from strained, sore, and lost voices. But honey isn't just effective when you're ill; it can be used to prevent vocal problems too. Its thick, smooth consistency coats and lubricates the throat, providing relief to your vocal cords and voice after a strenuous performance.
Milk is bad for singers because it stresses your vocal cords. However, there are many health benefits to drinking milk, so we don't suggest cutting it out from your diet altogether. Instead, avoid drinking milk on rehearsal and performance days.
Best foods for singers
Antioxidants are found in vitamin C (citrus fruit and leafy veg) but also Vitamin E (leafy greens, nuts, and seeds) and vitamin A (carrots, Cantaloupe, Apricots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, winter squash, dark leafy vegetables, and broccoli).
Peanut butter – a classic choice. Natural peanut butter contains protein, which will help you feel full and provide the energy required to sing well through a long performance.
Humming into straws, singing your favorite songs, reading out loud — these and other exercises can help keep your voice youthful. But you have to practice them correctly to benefit. To do that, seek out a vocal coach, a singing instructor or a vocologist, a speech language pathologist with additional training in voice.
Black tea and lemon tea are great options. As far as tea specifically for singers, a wonderful tea to drink before a vocal performance is throat coat. You can find throat coat in most convenience stores. Give it a try, and you'll be surprised how wonderful your vocals feel.
Eat: A balanced diet
Certain nutrients are particularly important for vocal health, for example, vitamins C and D, zinc and magnesium all play a role in maintaining healthy tissues, including the vocal cords. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are excellent sources of these nutrients.
Spinach. And kale, collards, Swiss chard… go for all the leafy greens! Spinach is extremely nutrient rich—high in magnesium, potassium and vitamin A, which keeps our mucous membranes healthy (ie our voice!).
Pineapple juice is a natural anti-inflammatory that will help to soothe your vocals. Additionally, pineapple juice prevents build-up in your throat, keeping it clear and allowing you to hit those high notes.
Toast and Unsalted Crackers
You can keep your voice naturally hydrated by eating toasted bread and unsalted crackers. This is because as the bread becomes stuck, the mouth produces extra moisture to help it break down, which then is swallowed, lubricating the throat.
“The vocal folds need to be lubricated with a thin layer of mucus in order to vibrate efficiently. The best lubrication can be achieved by drinking plenty of water.”
A: The most important thing we can consume to improve vocal health is water. Staying hydrated helps your body produce thin, watery mucus. Your vocal cords vibrate more than 100 times a second when you speak, and they need that mucus to help them stay lubricated. We recommend drinking 64 ounces of water each day.