His Majesty's government has been thinking about your food bill. Last week, Rachel Reeves announced tariff cuts on 125 everyday essentials — from avocados and olive oil to baked beans and chewing gum. Food is suddenly front of mind for everyone. Now, we've looked at speeches about food before. However, this development prompts a question worth asking: when did you last think about what you eat before a speech?
Prepare for your Next Speech - with Food!
Politicians, it turns out, have very different approaches. Nigel Farage was spotted in the green room before a Reform UK event wolfing down bangers and mash and sipping coffee from a cup that, according to a Spectator journalist present, contained red wine.
Donald Trump is rarely far from a burger before a formal occasion — his communications team famously photographed themselves eating McDonald's ahead of his address to Congress. Other speakers go the opposite way: nothing before a major speech, staying lean and sharp until it's over.
There is no universal right answer. But there are principles worth knowing.
Six Top Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Next Speech
1
Fuel
Think of yourself as an athlete in the hours before a speech. You need sustained energy, not a spike and crash. Complex carbohydrates — oats, wholegrain bread, brown rice — release energy slowly and keep your blood sugar stable. A heavy, rich meal right before you speak risks exactly the sluggishness you can't afford on stage.
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2
Avoid
Some foods actively work against you at the lectern. Dairy produces mucus, which plays havoc with a clear voice. Carbonated drinks risk an untimely burp mid-sentence. Alcohol is a depressant — Nigel Farage's red-wine-in-a-coffee-cup approach is a choice, not a recommendation. And anything very high in sugar will give you a short burst before the crash arrives, possibly during your Q&A.
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3
Chew
Some foods actively work against you at the lectern. Dairy produces mucus, which plays havoc with a clear voice. Carbonated drinks risk an untimely burp mid-sentence. Alcohol is a depressant — Nigel Farage's red-wine-in-a-coffee-cup approach is a choice, not a recommendation. And anything very high in sugar will give you a short burst before the crash arrives, possibly during your Q&A.
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4
Time
If you have a say in when you speak, avoid scheduling yourself at 2pm. The post-lunch dip is a genuine physiological phenomenon — your circadian rhythm creates a natural trough in alertness in the early afternoon, regardless of whether your audience has eaten. A heavy lunch makes it worse. We've written before about Joe Biden nodding off during President Obama's budget speech — and Biden wasn't alone. It happens. If you must speak after lunch, lift your energy and pace to compensate. Your audience may be battling biology.
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5
Energise
Certain foods are proven to sharpen cognitive performance in the short term. We looked at these in detail in our earlier post on boosting your memory before a speech — herbs such as rosemary and sage, dark berries, green tea, dark chocolate. These are not remedies for an under-rehearsed speech, but if you're looking for a legal, practical edge, your pre-speech meal is a reasonable place to start
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6
Abstain
Some experienced speakers eat nothing in the hours before they go on. The logic is straightforward: digestion competes with performance. Blood flow redirects to the gut. A light, alert feeling can sharpen delivery. If your speech is a big one — a keynote, a conference opening, a major client presentation — it's worth experimenting. Someone sleeping during a David Cameron speech at a Diwali dinner, as we noted here, is a reminder that the after-dinner slot requires special stamina. Eating less before your own occasion may give you more of it.
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So, there's clearly more than meets the eye when you consider how to prepare for your next speech with food or diet! But that shouldn't be a surprise when you consider what's on your plate as a keynote speaker.
Be Prepared for Your Next Speech with Food
Aim to be prepared for your next speech and really make it count.
- 1Fuel — choose slow-release energy foods in the hours before you speak.
- 2Avoid — steer clear of dairy, alcohol, fizzy drinks and high-sugar foods.
- 3Chew — chewing gum before the speech helps reduce stress and sharpen focus.
- 4Time — avoid the post-lunch graveyard slot where possible, and pace up if you can't.
- 5Energise — memory-boosting herbs, berries and dark chocolate give you a genuine edge
- 6Abstain — consider eating nothing in the final hours before a major speech
For more public speaking and presentation tips, you'll find our full series on this site. And when you're ready to sharpen your appetite for your next speech, please get in touch when you need some help.
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