This past Saturday, I did The Great Saunter<\/a>, a 32-mile walk around the shoreline perimeter of Manhattan, hoofing it up the West Side\u2019s promenade, across Inwood Park with its cherry trees and sprightly spring blooms, and down the East Side with views of the many bridges that staple the island to Queens and Brooklyn. It\u2019s a spectacular way to take in one of the world\u2019s great cities, appreciate its urban planning, and get your steps in for the month. (The Saunter takes place every first Saturday in May and it sells out quickly so get on the mailing list now.)<\/p>\n An 11-hour walk is also a great excuse to pre-obsess about snacks. And my friend Liz, who got me to Saunter in the first place, packed the best one: Spherical Saunter Snacks Bites<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the recipe:<\/p>\n And some snack-packing gear…<\/p>\n I guess this is going to be my snack-themed newsletter, because I also want to share the many smart recommendations for plane snacks I got from readers who answered my query a few newsletters ago.<\/p>\n But first, a quick aside: Several of you referred to a story about plane snacks that I wrote for the New York Times<\/a> in\u2026gulp\u20262002. This could mean you have a great memory, or that I wrote something memorable<\/em>, or that I\u2019m old. Let\u2019s not think too much about it.<\/p>\n In the story, I acknowledged that I was terrified of flying even though I was a frequent traveler. I\u2019m happy to report that I finally conquered this anxiety after, oh, 30 years. My cures: exposure therapy, taking half a Xanax before takeoff, and getting seats as close to the front of the plane as possible, because at the front of the plane you feel and hear fewer of those Ka-thunks<\/em> that make you think, What was that?!<\/em> I actually look forward to flying now.<\/p>\n Back to Snacks<\/strong><\/p>\n Laura, who had read my story of yore, wrote:<\/p>\n It made me think of plane food in a totally different way, as a chance to be creative, a little indulgent and healthier. My favorite is making a big grain salad (farro, couscous, quinoa, lentil, whatever I have) with lots of dill, chickpeas, parsley, good olive oil, lemon zest, mushrooms, and almonds. Everything tastes delicious when thrown into that\u2014sometimes I leave it as is and sometimes I throw leftover chicken or steak on top. Also, I am a huge dork and invested in buying the adorable tiny travel tins of Maldon sea salt, which makes everything more delicious.<\/em><\/p>\n Laura eats well in the sky! Next came a very practical, no-nonsense trio of travelers:<\/p>\n I take a peanut butter sandwich (the rest of the loaf and the jar are in my checked bag on long trips) and an apple, along with my favorite tea. \u2014Rosemary<\/em><\/p>\n I always make sure I have Fiji water, the original Swedish fish, earbuds and a great book. Thank you. \u2014Siobhan<\/em><\/p>\n Water and chocolate. \u2014Jan<\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019ve rounded up more plane snacks and supplies into a post here<\/a>.<\/p>\n