Plan ahead to avoid comfort food cravings this winter

Each year, we try to prepare for the winter by fattening up before food becomes scarce, just as our ancestors did. It’s in our DNA to do that, right? Wrong.

We’re actually not pre-programmed to gain weight just because the weather gets cold, says Sara Lopinski, a registered dietitian at Southern Illinois University’s medical school in Springfield, Ill.

So though we think we need to bulk up to stay warm, Lopinski says that’s just not the case. It’s not the snow and cold temperatures, but our attitudes, that drive how we eat.

“Our perception of the approaching winter seasons determines how we approach eating,” Lopinski says. “Check your attitude. If you go into the dreary winter with the attitude you are going to gain weight, then certainly you will.”

What to stock up on

Just as animals store food, it’s helpful to prepare for seasonal changes—including changes to our cravings. It’s natural to want more hot food in cold weather, so you’ll need to steer clear of tempting comfort foods.

“The key is to be prepared,” says Mary Vogliano, a Pittsburgh-based Weight Watchers group leader, and an ambassador for the company.

She keeps her refrigerator stocked with fruits and vegetables, and she likes making big batches of vegetable soup and chili with lean meat.

“I’m a comfort food person. I’m a carb person. So it’s always a struggle for me,” Vogliano says. “I have to make sure I have lots of fruits and veggies on hand.”

Having fresh produce in your fridge reduces the chance that you’ll seek solace from the snow with a bag of chips.

Make appropriate adjustments

We’re exposed to less sunlight during winter’s shorter days, but we need to get necessary vitamin D, Lopinski says. But don’t let that make you hit the egg nog.

You only need 20 to 40 minutes outdoors in the sun two to three times per week for your body to get enough sunlight to produce the vitamin D it needs.

If the snow or cold temperatures keep you indoors, try eating salmon, yogurt, milk and fortified orange juice. They’re all excellent sources of vitamin D, Lopinski says.

Of course, a good diet is enhanced with exercise. You’ll also need to figure out how to adjust your fitness routines for indoors. Decide what you’ll do before the urge to hibernate creeps in.

“Get some exercise DVDs, or leave some hand weights by the TV,” Vogliano says.

And don’t beat yourself up if you eat a sugary snack every now and then.

Lopinski says there’s no harm in treating yourself to some yummy comfort foods.

Just be sure to keep portions in check. Keep in mind how you want to look and feel, she says, and be kind to yourself if you overindulge.

“Forgive yourself if you fall off. Winter can be depressing,” Lopinski says. “Adding failure on top of it can’t be good.”