It’s that time of the year again. Winter.

Winter brings traveling, Outdoor Retailer, The Birkie, winter hiking, airport lounges, lots of tradeshow, and much more. And all of this puts major strains on your body. My next few blog posts are going to be about the preparation needed for each of these events.

Traveling takes its toll on your body, and quite frankly turning 50 hasn’t helped. But as I gear up for all of this I follow the same regiment that I have done for the past 10 years. First and foremost, I adjust my diet. While airport food courts do offer a better selection of health options, there are too many opportunities to stray. Trust me, while a pack of cookies and a Coke do indeed help, it takes forever to drop those extra calories.

A few helpful travel food tips:

1. Pick up a few oranges before heading to the airport. Slice the rinds but don’t peel them. Put them in storage bags in your backpack. Eat one orange every two hours. It helps with energy, Vitamin C and it just makes you feel good.

2. Do not eat past 8pm. This one I find to be really difficult, especially when you are just sitting there reading or watching TV. If your flight goes into the later hours, make sure you have a small bag of snacks, like peanuts, cashews or carrots. And whatever you do, pass on the free airplane snacks.

3. Make sure you drink water while on the plane. I’m not much of a water drinker so this one is hard for me, but the more water you drink the better you will feel on the other end.

4. If you buy a salad or sandwich before you board the flight, try to get ones without dressing or other condiments. If the salad is fresh, a little salt and pepper will do just fine.

5. For breakfast, drop the muffins and donuts, add in a banana, plain Cheerios, fresh fruit and a glass of cranberry juice.

6. Coffee and tea…honestly, I can’t help you with this one. I need my coffee in the morning and my Earl Grey at night.

The key to success when traveling is to eat smart. If you have to eat late due to a dinner event, have a salad with no dressing on it. If you have an early morning meeting, try and get a 10 minute workout or stretch in and pass on the donuts and muffins. Take time to make a quick stop in the nearest market and get some fresh food.

Happy travels.

Scott Newman

Co-founder Sven Can See