5 Tips to control your increased winter appetite

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Do you feel like it’s harder to control your appetite during the winter?

It’s not just you. There is some evidence from human studies that cold may increase your appetite, but we need more good quality human studies on the effect of cold on eating during the winter . Possible reasons include:

• Bad sleeping patterns- The Metabolic Winter Hypothesis : Humans are designed to sleep more during the winter and save energy. For our ancestors, it used to be very hard to find food during the winter!
• Lack of sunlight : Lack of sunlight means higher risk for vitamin D deficiency. In turn, Vitamin D could have a role in appetite regulation.
• Seasonal affective disorder ^, : A depressive mood disorder that could increase your cravings for sugary snacks during the winter. Please check the NHS website for symptoms and don’t hesitate to discuss any concerns with your doctor!

Here are some realistic tips avoid overeating during the winter.

1. Soups with vegetables and protein sources

Soups contain plenty of water. As a result, the food volume in your stomach will increase very soon (gastric distention). Gastric distension is involved in neural pathways that promote satiety. This is why having soups in the winter are a great trick to avoid overeating.

Protein sources in your soups will also activate the production of PYY peptide and cholecystokinin. These peptides take part in neural pathways that supress your winter appetite!

If you like meat soups, low fat lean meats (turkey, chicken) and white fish are a smarter option to control your energy intake.

Don’t forget to add as many vegetables as you want. They are so filling, thanks to fibre! Carrots, squash and swedes are in season and delicious low energy ingredients for your soups! Eating vegetables during the winter will also provide you with plenty of vitamins and minerals to boost your immune system.

Legume soups are a great plant based protein source, high in both soluble and insoluble, rich in vitamins and minerals. Both fibre and protein will keep you full for hours!

^{Greek meatball soup (on the left) is a protein and vitamin B bomb with healthy fats. Red lentil soup is a lovely balanced meal high in fibre with 19g of protein per portion. Ideal for meat-free days.}

Remember: Your meal’s total energy content is still very important. Stick to adding one tablespoon of vegetable oil (=115 kcal) per portion! Healthy fats are still important and also stimulate peptides that make you feel ful. Just make sure you pay attention to your portion size.

2. Don’t forget Vitamin D!

Vitamin D deficiency could contribute to your increased winter appetite. During the winter we cannot synthesise Vitamin D from our skin, so dietary intake is super important. Click here for vitamin D foods and recommendations and more information!

3. Low energy hot beverages:

Hot beverages in the winter can be so comforting! Their water volume can help you to avoid overeating, just like soups.

However, there are a couple of nutrition “traps to avoid”:

• Too much added sugar and syrups could actually increase your appetite! Also,
• Many beverages in chain cafes and restaurants are so high in fat and added sugars they could contain the energy of a whole meal! This kind of “liquid calories” is not helpful if you are trying to control your weight or your appetite.
• Remember that coffee, tea and cocoa powder contain caffeine. Having a couple of decaf options per day is a good idea if you enjoy many hot beverages per day! Keeping your caffeine intake under control is important of your overall health.

Here are a few smart tips for low energy hot beverages:

• If you enjoy added sugars in your drink, stick to 1 tsp of sugar/honey/syrup. Same for    flavorings or vanilla extract!
• At the grocery stores you can find hot chocolate sachets with 40-50 kcal per portion!  Milk and sugars are already in the mix, you don’t have to do anything.
• A bit of lemon juice in your tea is delicious!
• Add semi-skimmed milk instead of single or double cream.
• Do you enjoy warm milk as a beverage? A cup of warm semi- skimmed milk (250 g) contains 8g of protein, only 117 kcal and it is high in vitamin B complex. A cup contains almost all the vitamin B12 you need in a day! It’s a very good deal to reduce your winter appetite and get plenty of vitamin B!  Tea/coffee with a couple of tablespoons of semi-skimmed milk are a safe option to  avoid extra calories.

4. Stock up healthy low energy snacks

Having healthy low energy snacks available is a very smart option for three reasons:

• You will be less likely to go outside and look for sugary snacks. During the winter you will probably prioritize eating what you have in your cupboard instead of going outside when it’s freezing.  
• With snacks high in fibre and micronutrients you will be full more quickly and less likely to have more cravings later.
• Even during the days you can’t avoid overeating (like PMS days), it will be harder to consume many more calories than you need.

A few examples of low energy foods to keep in your household:

• All fruit, raw or baked.  You get your fibre, vitamins and great ingredients for healthy desserts. Baked apple slices with ground cinnamon are one of my winter favourites!
• Hard-boiled eggs and low fat cheese: their protein content will make you feel full very easily
• Low calorie cracker breads, oatcakes and wholegrain biscuits (20-35 kcal per piece).

5. Alcohol does not keep you warm!

Alcohol doesn’t actually keep you warm as many people think. It may actually reduce your core body temperature.  It could reduce the discomfort related to cold, maybe because of effects on the central nervous system . On the other hand, there are several reasons alcohol can contribute to weight gain! Many alcoholic drinks are very high in calories and added sugars. Alcohol could also increase your appetite. Click here for all the information you need on this topic. Increasing alcohol intake is not a good idea for any reason!

What is working for your winter appetite? Leave a comment with any tricks that work for you!

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