Coffee and Eating before singing

Had a PB&J sandwich about an hour before practicing and Starbucks. That combo had me struggling with singing this afternoon. Trouble with breath control and bloated feeling, vibrato trouble. It was productive in that I got the workout I wanted but I didn't have as much fun so I can't be doing that anymore.

Minimum 2-3 hours before singing after eating and avoid the coffee - especially the strong stuff.

Yeah i agree as well. It takes more time to feel well-adjusted to the 'harsher' type foods like coffee. Though usually I think its okay to wait just 1 hour after eating. If you wait too long then its pretty much time for your next meal!

Another thing I noticed between food and singing, is that peanut butter doesn't really do the throat justice. But that's just my personal experience.

Oddly I've never had issues with Coffee, and I have a very strong pot going near constantly through the day.. anything like peanut butter or anything that makes the saliva thick does pose alot of problems.

Though My fix for that is a cocktail of Sriracha chili sauce * you see it at the store, asian foods, green top, rooster on it" and water. sometimes wasabi for kick. I gargle, and swallow a little of that to clean things out. and I have the added perk of being able to hit the higher/softer ranges easier too.

I have learned over the years to always sing on an empty stomach. If you can't take a deep breath you will strain you vocal chords (can't use your diaphram if your stomach is full). IMOA

I never eat before a gig or rehearsal. Also, just water before and during a show. I may or may not have a beer at rehearsal, but it lasts the entire evening (yea, I know - hardcore! )

The only alcohol I drink is one shot of a kamikaze before hitting the stage - it's a band tradition. Definitely no dairy or OJ before singing - real phlegm producers. If you need something hot beforehand, try tea with honey. If you need food or coffee before singing, make it with enough time to digest properly and follow it up with a 'Cold-eez' or another throat lozenge with zinc. Also, you may consider taking a zinc supplement daily. It's really good for the throat and vocal chords.

hot Sake is always great, not only to loosen up, but clear the crud out. And that and it's readily available where I tend to sing.

It's probably not the coffee but the milk/cream you put into it. I can drink coffee with soy milk and have no problem, but the milk would kill my voice.

What little I have.

I hate coffee so have never drunk it when singing or not, but in my opinion, eating peanut butter would cause some fairly major issues, for me anyway. It's all sticky and coats your mouth and throat. May as well be drinking milk and cream and cheese!

One should never drink cheese before singing.

Cheese, milk, peanut butter, mochi, there are alot of things to stay away from. On the same side, warm, and as spiced as can be done seem to actually help.

HAHAHA! I didn't realise I'd phrased it so it looked like I was saying DRINK cheese! Heheh.

I'm not a big spicy food person, but I do enjoy a good chicken wing.

I used to work in radio and quickly learned to always do my show hungry! Food just makes my voice less resonant. Over the years I figured out it may have to do with food allergies, though.