Hyperfixated: What we’re eating a lot of—all the time
Do you find yourself eating the same oatmeal-and-fruit breakfast every day? Or what about a lunch sandwich or salad you’re particularly fond of, or even a late-night snack you just have to have before settling in for the evening?
Well, good news: You’re part of an ever-growing consumer trend of food fixation.
Part ADHD-leaning and part of an attempt at executive organization, hyperfixation meals have initiated discussions on Reddit, informed videos on TikTok, and provided calm to those just sick of making complicated culinary decisions. According to a report by NBC’s Today Show, the practice gained popularity during the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing solace to those seeking comfort in their favorite dishes or guilty delights.
Now, it’s providing those exhausted by a world of overwhelming choices a delicious port in the storm—at least until we get sick of the foods we love so much.
In honor of this month’s focus on the food and beverage industry, we polled members of our integrated teams in Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester about the meals they go back to time and time again. Thankfully, they responded with full meals favored for breakfast, lunch, or dinner; creative snacks cultivated for anytime enjoyment; and even orders that don’t exactly fit into any healthy food pyramid.
Here’s what they came up with, along with some additional prep notes:
The meal: Avocado toast on sourdough and scrambled eggs with cottage cheese, topped with homemade pickled red onions
The maker: Madeline Rickett
Prep note: How skilled are you at pickling onions?
The meal: Kale Caesar salad with chicken cutlet on top
The maker: Marley Gleason
Prep note: Follow the example of Hamburg, NY’s famous Grange Community Kitchen and you’ll be fine.
The meal: Oysters, truffle fries, and an extra dirty martini
The maker: Bayley Ward
Prep note: Get ready to shuck and shake.
The meal: Pasta with homemade vodka sauce
The maker: Grace Carra
Prep note: You’ll need to nudge Grace for her top-secret vodka sauce recipe.
The meal: Can of Campbell’s Chunky Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and a bag of Tops oyster crackers
The maker: Jim Lynch
Prep note: Please ready your can opener and completely disregard your daily sodium intake.
The meal: Sheet-pan salmon and veggies over rice
The maker: Rachel Surdi
Prep note: This meal is anti-inflammatory, gut friendly, and best with frozen sockeye salmon from our friends at Wegmans. 🤝
The meal: Oatmeal with bananas, two-egg omelet with bell pepper, broccoli, and onion, and a side of Hawthorne Valley ginger beets
The maker: Jennifer Hunold
Prep note: Pre-chop all veggies and fruits to save time, and plan to be full for nearly half your day.
The meal: Pizza—any pizza
The maker: Kearney Erhard
Prep note: With meat, vegetables, dairy, and grains, this is forever the perfect dietary delicacy (no matter what society says).
The meal: Toasted everything bagel with cream cheese, fried egg, cheese, crispy bacon, and Mike’s hot honey.
The maker: Meghan Fitzpatrick
Prep note: Keep the cream cheese to one bagel side—and don’t skimp on the hot honey.
The meal: Siggi’s mixed berry yogurt, Purely Elizabeth granola, and fresh blueberries
The maker: Leanne Politi
Prep note: Icelandic yogurt + gluten-free granola = new spin on a breakfast fave.
The meal: Protein pasta with corn, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and Greek dressing
The maker: Caitlin Tracy
Prep note: Our friends at Galbani make some pretty tasty fresh mozzarella. 😉
The meal: Belgian waffle, topped with a mountain of whipped cream
The maker: Taylor Augustyn
Prep note: Preferably served by a culinary professional, and enjoyed in a comfortable diner booth.
The meal: A Greek yogurt bowl with peanut butter, raspberries, and granola
The maker: Julia Telford
Prep note: Don’t limit this dish to breakfast. Loosen up and make it a late-night sweet treat.
The meal: Two double cheeseburgers, two large fries, and 20 chicken nuggets from McDonald’s.
The maker: Andrew Henesey
Prep note: Significantly easier to stomach with the metabolism of a marathoner.
If you want to learn more about our team and what we’re up to inside (and outside) The Martin Group, click here.