Video: TravelSmith Travel Tips #15 - How To Find A Great Restaurant Anywhere In The World

In his latest travel tips video, Richard Bangs answers one of the most important question that travelers face when visiting a foreign land – where to find good food while on the road. As always, Richard shares a story from his his own travels that taught him a valuable lesson. In this case, it involves a trip to Chile, a fresh bowl of goat blood, and a quick trip to the restroom.

Adventure Kitchen: New Mojo Trail Mix Bars From Clif

A few weeks back I received a nice little care package from my friends at Clif Bar giving me a sneak peek at the new flavors of Mojo Bars that they were preparing to ship for spring. Considering that one of my favorite products in their entire line-up is the Mojo, I was interested to see what they had put together in terms of new offerings. Turns out, Clif has put together some tasty new combinations that I think will appeal to a wide audience.

One thing I have always liked about the Mojo bars is that they are a nice blend of salty and sweet. They also don't happen to taste like most energy bars in that they offer a surprising amount of variety and fresh flavor. The new version carry on that tradition quite nicely, giving us more choices to throw in our pack on a long hike or for a post workout snack. Those new choices include: Wilde Blueberry Almond, Cranberry Almond, Coconut Almond Peanut, Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond, and Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt. Of those, my two new favorites are the ones that incorporate dark chocolate. They are super tasty without being overly sweet.

As is usual with everything from Clif Bar, these new bars are very healthy. They are complete gluten free and low glycemic of course, but they also use organic ingredients. That means the almonds, blueberries, coconut, cherries and even the chocolate are all natural and good for you.  The Mojo bars are also very affordable. The suggested retail price for a bar is $1.49, with 5-pack going for $5.99.

I have been happily munching away on my supply for awhile now, and the only knock I have against them, is that I wish they were bigger. Don't get me wrong, Clif has made a nice sized trail mix bar, its just that these are so tasty, they always leave me wanting more.

Adventure Kitchen: Honey Stinger Energy Bars, Chews, Waffels, Gels and Protein Bars

A little more than a year ago I introduced you to a line of excellent nutritional bars and energy chews from a company called Honey Stinger. At the time I was quite impressed with the quality of the entire line of products, which stood out from the sea of similar bars from competitors thanks to their use of honey for their natural sweetener. The company also uses all organic ingredients with everything also being completely GMO free. The result is a product that tastes great, doesn't weigh me down and always gives me a boost of energy to help me get through a workout. Recently I received some fresh supplies from Honey Stinger that reminded me why I liked their foods so much and some new flavors gave me even more reason to enjoy them.

One of my favorite items in the Honey Stinger line-up is their wonderful energy chews. Offered in a variety of flavors including pink lemonade, fruit smoothie and cherry blossom, these chews are smaller and softer than similar products on the market, which makes them very easy to eat, even while on the go. Their flavors are fresh and tasty without being over powering and the natural ingredients are easy on the stomach while on a long run or bike ride. New to the line-up this year are the caffeinated cherry cola flavor, which I happen to like a lot.

I'm not the only one who is a big fan of the energy chews. When I met with Honey Stinger representatives at Outdoor Retailer back in August, they told me that the chews are such a hit with kids that they've heard from customers that they often catch their children swiping their chews before they can use them on a workout. With that in mind, the company will soon offer child sized portions of the chews, which are better for kids than other types of sweet products that they might be eating.

The other product in the Honey Stinger line-up that I love are their organic waffles. They come in flavors such as chocolate, honey, vanilla and strawberry and much like the chews, they are tasty for a snack even when you're not working out. The waffles are lightweight, very tasty and completely organic. I appreciate that each type of waffle has its own unique flavor that doesn't seem artificial in any way. They're also great for getting me through a long run before I settle down to a proper dinner.

Honey Stinger also offers energy and protein bars that have their own unique flavors as well. I'm partial to the Berry Banana Buzz in the former and the Dark Chocolate Mocha Cherry in the latter. Like their other products they are filled with natural ingredients and are gluten free with no trans fats. New this year, Honey Stinger is offering the protein bars in both a 20g and 10g version. The 10g version is a result of customers saying they didn't always need such a larger bar and appreciated a smaller option. It is a classic case of a company listening to what their customer want and then giving it to them.

A year ago when I was testing the Honey Stinger line-up I was very impressed. All of the options tasted great and didn't weigh me down when working out. This year that line-up has been improved nicely, with new options and flavors to appeal to more people. If you haven't tried Honey Stinger's products yet, I'd highly recommend that you do. I think you'll like them quite a bit and you may even leave your traditional cardboard-tasting energy bars behind once and for all.

Adventure Kitchen: Sharkies Energy Sports Chews and A New Flavor From Clif Bar

I'm the kind of person who can't exercise on an empty stomach but also can't have anything too heavy before a workout either. As a result, I regularly find myself walking a fine line on when and what to eat in the lead-up to a run, bike ride or other intense aerobic workout. That's why I like to have some quick and easy pre-workout snacks that can provide the energy I need without filling me up. Recently I've had a chance to try two new, and very different, options in this department and I came away pleased with both of them.

Sharkies Energy Sports Chews
The first new option in my pantry are the tasty energy sports chews from Sharkies. These all-organic chews are designed to provide energy for our bodies for use in our favorite endurance sports. They provide a natural source of electrolytes, contain no trans fats or high fructose corn syrup. They also happen to be free of wheat, gluten and nuts, which means they are perfectly safe for those who have intolerances to any of those items.

The one thing these chews aren't lacking in is flavor. In fact, if I didn't know any better I'd swear these were gummy candies that you'd pick up from your local convenience store. That means they're sweet, tasty and good for you. They also happen to provide fuel for a workout without weighing you down in any way.

I've tested three different flavors of these chews – Watermelon Scream, Barry Blast and Fruit Splash – and it is a toss-up on which one I like best. I'm not even a big fan of watermelon flavored snacks, but these were a nice mix of sweet and tangy that I found I enjoyed quite a bit. The shark-shaped chews also have a nice consistency to them that makes them easy to enjoy as well. Other similar energy chews that I've tried in the past actually turned out to be a more challenging to eat than the actual workout itself.

Sharkies sells the chews in a box of 12 for $17.80, which works out to just $1.48 per pack. That's actually a very competitive price when compared to similar products on the market, many of which aren't nearly as tasty.

I've been munching on Sharkies prior to some longer runs recently and have been very happy with the results. Not only do they provide emergency fuel when I'm hungry before a workout but they do so without slowing me down in the least. The fact that manage to taste good while doing so is yet another added benefit.

Clif Bar Sierra Trail Mix Bar

By now, we're all familiar with the popular and ubiquitous Clif Bars. The company has been around forever and continues to refine their iconic energy bars. This spring they've introduced an interesting new flavor that is perfect for everything from a pre-run fuel-up or a mid-hike snack.

The new flavor is called Sierra Trail Mix and just like the iconic snack that it is named after, it contains plenty of peanuts, chocolate and raisins all in handy bar that you can carry with you anywhere. Like the other bars in Clif's line-up, this new addition is an excellent source of protein and fiber, contains 23 vitamins and minerals, but zero trans fats. That means it is a great source of quick energy when your batteries start to run a little low.

I have a confession to make. I haven't always been a fan of Clif Bar products. There were times in the past that I found them to be dry, hard to swallow and mostly tasteless. Those days are long gone however and now I find that I enjoy pretty much every flavor in the line-up. I can now add Sierra Trail Mix to that list too. This new flavor is everything you like about traditional trail mix, but in an easy to carry and eat package.

This new addition to the line-up is well worth taste. Pick some up where ever Clif Bars are sold, which is just about everywhere if your neighborhood is anything like mine.