Not trite at all - sorry you're struggling.
The "hungry" part of HALT is interesting - I have fallen into a bad habit of eating next to nothing over the past three weeks. I just have no appetite. I'm losing weight - I can tell because my sized wristwatch is now sliding up and down my forearm where it used to fit snugly.
But of course not eating makes things worse, not better. So I'm trying really hard now to make sure I eat three times a day (as opposed to one or zero). It seems to help when I'm not running on fumes. Which I guess is pretty obvious but it's hard to eat when you're not hungry at all...
Yes, I am subject to the food grumps. So eating healthy stuff sooner seems to work better, rather than for 5 handfuls of jelly bellys late at night because I did not fuel well. I tend to me more the other way than you. I tend to get the munchies from stress rather than not eat. But the food choices make a big difference to me.
I also read an article where the Hungry in Halt was expanded to hunger for attention, affection, etc. I can relate to that too in some ways. In any case, it seems to help me to stop and re-direct rather than make some sort of scene because I am uncomfortable with something. It is unusual to say this, because I am not normally that guy. But during the last year of stressors, I started being that guy on occasion. So, time to make some changes.
I am not super good at meditation, but I can do it if I dial up one on youtube and listen. There are a couple good 10 minute ones on worry/anxiety I found. Also, though this left me for a few months this year, learning a new song or learning a new chord progression or something seems to help me, as it brings me present, much like i understand the point of meditation to be. To be mindful in the present. Of course, as I have said, biking, or skiing, or the like helps in that way too, as the activity tends to make me present.
