Question: Verb | まえに

In Minna No Nihongo (I) lesson 18 of the Trans & Gram notes it says if a noun is placed before まえに then you must add the particle の in between, however for a Verb you just use its dictionary form, however this is the example they gave:

しょくじの まえに、てを あらいます。

However しょくじ can also be used as the verb しょくじします the dictionary form of which is しょくじする right? If so then can I say:

しょくじする まえに、てを あらいます。

Is that wrong or unnatural?

I can't bother my teacher by email cause she'd probably be angry for a question during Christmas holiday

食事 is a noun.

In a similar way in english you can say:
before lunch :食事の前に
before eating (doing) lunch: 食事をする前に

As for your question, grammatically the sentence is correct but I'll leave the answer to people who are more experienced than me.