Water yes, other stuff no. Unless you assume that we don’t hold by that nowadays (for any of the several reasons given in the Achronim) and eat anything before lighting candles.
onegoal: maybe if the person is at work or on a bus and will light late in the night (8 PM, e.g.), can he drink before – or must you fast from sunset until you get around to lighting?
I daven shachris and go straight to work from there without having any chances to eat, so I take a granola bar or a yogurt with me to shachris and eat it on my way to work. If you are always hungry or thirsty by before lighting, then make a point of eating before or be a man and sweat it out.
mik5- In such a case you should ask your LOR (or local CR member) to find out if it’s even muttar.
WIY- I was thinking of writing that but nobody would have gotten it. I was then thinking to write “LCRM (local CR member)” but that’s redundant so I didn’t.
I don’t have the sources in front of me, and you have no idea who I am, but I believe the issur to eat is because you might forget, similar to eating before maariv. If you have a shomer to remind you, or for example, a reminder on your phone, it would even be mutar to eat, let alone to drink water.
My LOR paskened to a certain individual who was stuck in BP at a Chanukah party that he can eat and drink during the party anything he wishes except for Hamotzie and Mezonos, after which he can go home to light the menorah.