When it comes to food, many kids—and even adults—find themselves returning to the same “hyperfixation meal” over and over again. Whether it’s chicken nuggets, pasta, or a favorite snack plate, these go-to meals can bring both comfort and convenience. But are they helping or hurting our overall nutrition? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of hyperfixation meals and how parents can support their kids while keeping balance in mind.

THE PROS

1. Convenience
Arguably, one of the most arduous tasks as an adult is meal planning and grocery shopping. Reaching for the same basics of your kid’s or your own hyperfixation meal week to week cuts down a ton of time in both meal planning and grocery shopping since you already know what you need and exactly where it is at in the store! Even when it comes to the actual cooking and assembling of the meal, the convenience is unmatched.

2. Comfort
In our extremely busy lives filled with schedules, to-do lists, and agendas, it is natural for our brain and body to reach for comfort items, especially if we are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious. Truth be told, food can absolutely be comforting! There seems to be a lot of demonization of emotional eating in the society we live in; however, as a dietitian, I am always exploring this topic and trying to normalize eating for emotional reasons, such as comfort. If your hyperfixation meal brings you comfort and nourishes your body with energy, I would call that a win-win!

3. Consistency
A common theme that I see is that kids and even adults often are deemed “picky,” when in reality it is normal for them to be selective! Kids or adults who are trying to incorporate foods that vary widely in appearance, taste, or texture might throw them off and deter them from re-trying the food if the food lacks a consistent expectation. I also see many neurodivergent folks in my practice who quite literally have heightened senses, which makes eating experiences even more complicated. These kids or adults greatly benefit from finding hyperfixation meals and foods that have a consistent taste/texture because it helps them to be able to eat *enough* food, which is really the most important aspect of our nutrition.

THE CONS

1. Lack of Variety
Of course, eating the same hyperfixation foods over and over again means that you or your kiddo might be missing out on other important macronutrients and micronutrients. One workaround for this is to keep the “base” of the hyperfixation meal the same but to switch out certain components that are in the same “categories,” such as swapping apples for oranges, almonds for cashews, or rice for quinoa.

2. Habituation
They seem to last forever, but I promise, the hyperfixation will eventually end! Thanks to a process called “habituation.” This is the process by which when exposed to a repeated stimulus over and over, we then have less of a reaction and/or dopamine boost from the stimulus over time. Whether it is days, weeks, or months, the fixation food will no longer be appealing anymore, which might leave you or your kiddo in a tough spot nutritionally. When the fixation meal was a main energy source for so long, it can be easy to start becoming malnourished after it ends if we don’t have a backup plan for when the fixation ends.

3. Spontaneity
An important component to a sustainable diet is the ability to spontaneously have friends over for dinner, go out to eat, or eat food that is not necessarily prepared by you and be ok with that. If you or your kid’s hyperfixation meal is hindering this ability and there is a lack of flexibility with eating, this would be a red flag that the fixation might lead to disordered eating later on. One strategy for encouraging flexibility would be to bring certain hyperfixation components to the meal experience if possible, but to encourage trying something new as well. Sometimes the best way to encourage flexibility and spontaneity with food is to model it and to let the kid practice it. I don’t believe in perfection, but the saying “practice makes perfect” is a helpful reminder we need in this scenario!

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PARENTS

  • Continue offering other foods in addition to the hyperfixation foods, focus on more variety at other meal or snack occasions.
  • Try swapping certain components of the hyperfixation meal as a small way to add variety
  • Get the kids involved with food in any way possible! Grocery shopping, planning, preparation—the more exposure, the more likely they are to try new foods!
  • Discuss backup plans with the kiddos for when the fixation inevitably ends—try creating a “foods I want to try someday” list with them to pick from when it’s over
  • Look into working with a Registered Dietitian if you have concerns about your kiddos (or your own) nutritional status