Does the Cold Affect Your Appetite? The Science Behind Winter Hunger

January 13, 2026 •

4 min read

Research from the National Institutes of Health indicates that exposure to cold stimulates appetite and causes an enhanced energy intake in humans. But why does the cold affect your appetite, and what is the science behind those strong winter cravings for comfort food? This article explores the physiological and psychological factors driving these seasonal shifts in eating habits.

Quick Summary

This article examines the complex relationship between cold temperatures and increased hunger. It covers the physiological responses like heightened energy expenditure and metabolic rate, alongside psychological factors such as comfort eating and reduced sunlight exposure. The article provides a comprehensive overview of how seasonal changes can influence eating habits.

Key Points

Metabolic Rate Increases: Cold temperatures cause the body to expend more energy to maintain core temperature, directly increasing caloric needs and stimulating hunger.
Brown Fat is Activated: Cold exposure stimulates brown adipose tissue (BAT), a type of fat that burns calories to generate heat, further boosting metabolic rate.
Reduced Sunlight Affects Mood: Shorter winter days can lead to lower serotonin levels in some people, which can result in carbohydrate cravings and changes in appetite.
Comfort Eating is a Response: The desire for warm, hearty meals is a psychological response to the cold, as the digestive process itself generates a small amount of heat (thermic effect of food).
Ancestral Instincts Influence Habits: Modern humans may still possess an evolutionary instinct to eat more during colder months to store energy in case of food scarcity.
Dehydration Can Mask as Hunger: In cold weather, people often drink less water and can confuse thirst for hunger, making proper hydration important for appetite management.
Hormonal Fluctuations Occur: Seasonal changes, especially reduced sunlight, can impact hormones like leptin and ghrelin, which influence hunger and fullness signals, though research on this is varied.

The Physiological Link Between Cold and Hunger

When exposed to cold temperatures, your body's primary goal is to maintain its core temperature, a process known as thermoregulation. To achieve this, your body employs several strategies that directly influence your appetite and energy needs.

Increased Energy Expenditure

The most direct physiological driver of increased appetite in the cold is a higher energy expenditure. To stay warm, your body burns more calories. This can happen through shivering, where involuntary muscle contractions produce heat, and through non-shivering thermogenesis, a process primarily driven by brown adipose tissue (BAT). The heightened metabolic activity signals the brain that it needs more fuel to keep functioning optimally, triggering a feeling of increased hunger.

Shivering: Your body's immediate, visible response to feeling cold is shivering, a rapid contraction and relaxation of muscles that generates heat. This muscular activity burns a significant number of calories quickly, prompting the body to seek more energy.
Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT): Unlike white fat, which stores energy, brown fat burns calories to generate heat. Cold exposure activates BAT, boosting metabolism and creating a demand for more fuel. Research has shown that even mild cold exposure can significantly increase energy expenditure by activating brown fat.

The Thermic Effect of Food

Another physiological factor is the thermic effect of food (TEF), or the energy required for your body to digest, absorb, and metabolize nutrients. Eating, especially larger or richer meals, can temporarily increase body temperature. In cold weather, this warming effect provides a form of internal comfort, which can create a psychological feedback loop that encourages eating to stay warm.

The Psychological and Environmental Factors

Beyond pure physiology, several other factors contribute to the change in appetite and cravings experienced in the cold. These psychological and environmental influences are often seasonal and behavioral.

Reduced Sunlight and Hormonal Shifts

Less daylight in winter can lead to reduced serotonin levels in some individuals. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, appetite, and sleep. A drop in serotonin can trigger mood changes, potentially leading to cravings for high-carbohydrate foods, which can help increase serotonin production. This phenomenon is sometimes linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Comfort Eating and Environmental Cues

Cold weather often prompts a desire for warm, hearty comfort foods like stews, soups, and casseroles. This is both a psychological craving for comfort and a physical response to the cold. We associate these foods with warmth and coziness, and the physical act of consuming a hot meal directly contributes to a temporary rise in body temperature.

Comparison of Cold vs. Warm Weather Eating Habits


Feature	Cold Weather Eating	Warm Weather Eating
Energy Expenditure	Increased metabolism to maintain core temperature, burns more calories.	Lower energy demands for temperature regulation.
Food Preferences	Craving for calorie-dense, high-carbohydrate comfort foods.	Preference for lighter, cooler, less dense foods (e.g., salads).
Meal Frequency	Often leads to more frequent snacking between meals for sustained energy.	Tends to be more structured, less frequent snacking.
Dehydration Risk	High risk due to drier air and decreased thirst perception.	Lower risk due to increased awareness and consumption of fluids.
Sunlight Influence	Reduced daylight can lower serotonin levels, affecting mood and cravings.	Increased sunlight exposure positively impacts mood and appetite regulation.
Physical Activity	Often lower due to weather, but can be higher for cold-weather enthusiasts.	Generally higher, promoting energy balance.

The Instinctive Urge to Store Energy

From an evolutionary perspective, the human body retains an instinct to prepare for periods of scarcity by consuming more food during colder months. While modern humans have consistent access to food, this deep-seated biological wiring can still influence our eating patterns, contributing to a desire for more calorie-dense sustenance to build insulation and energy stores for the winter.

Conclusion: A Multi-Faceted Response

The question, "Does the cold affect your appetite?" has a clear answer: yes, and it does so through a combination of physiological, hormonal, and psychological mechanisms. Your body's instinct to maintain its internal temperature drives a higher metabolic rate and triggers hunger cues to replenish energy stores. Alongside this, environmental factors like reduced sunlight exposure and the psychological comfort of warm, hearty foods play a significant role in shaping your eating behaviors during colder seasons. Understanding these factors can help you make more mindful dietary choices and manage seasonal cravings effectively. It’s important to acknowledge these natural responses while focusing on balanced nutrition and portion control, rather than simply overindulging.

How to Manage Your Cold-Weather Appetite

Managing your appetite and cravings in the cold doesn't require fighting your body's natural signals, but rather working with them. Try these strategies for healthier seasonal eating:

Embrace Warming, Nutritious Foods: Choose healthy soups, stews, and hot cereals to provide both warmth and sustained energy. Incorporate winter vegetables, lean proteins, and warming spices like ginger and cinnamon.
Stay Hydrated: It’s easy to forget to drink enough water in the cold. Dehydration can sometimes be mistaken for hunger, so staying hydrated helps with appetite management.
Prioritize a Balanced Diet: Ensure your meals include a good balance of protein, healthy fats, and fiber to increase satiety and provide long-lasting energy.
Stay Active: Regular exercise continues to be crucial for metabolism and mood regulation, even when it's cold outside. Indoor workouts or bundled-up walks can help counter reduced energy levels from lower sunlight.
Get Sunlight Exposure: Maximize your exposure to natural light to help regulate serotonin levels, even for short periods. This can positively impact your mood and control cravings.

Frequently Asked Questions

You feel hungrier in winter due to a combination of factors. Your body burns more calories to stay warm, which increases your energy demands and appetite. Psychological factors like comfort eating and hormonal shifts from reduced sunlight exposure also contribute to increased hunger and cravings.

While your body's energy expenditure does increase slightly to maintain its core temperature in the cold, most people do not need a significantly higher calorie intake due to modern heating and insulation. The increase is often less substantial than the increase in appetite, and overeating can lead to weight gain.

Cold weather cravings for carbs are often linked to a decrease in serotonin levels from reduced sunlight exposure. The body seeks carbohydrates to boost serotonin, which can improve mood. Additionally, eating warm, hearty meals provides psychological comfort and a slight increase in body temperature.

Yes, brown fat is activated by cold exposure and burns calories to produce heat, increasing the body's energy expenditure. This metabolic increase can trigger hunger signals, prompting you to seek more food to replenish the energy being burned.

Yes. People tend to drink less water in colder weather, but dehydration can often be mistaken for hunger by the body. This can lead to increased eating when the body actually needs fluids. Staying properly hydrated can help manage your appetite.

Weight gain in winter is common due to a combination of increased appetite, cravings for calorie-dense foods, and reduced physical activity. Many of these behaviors stem from natural, though often unnecessary, physiological and psychological responses to the cold and shorter daylight hours.

The best strategy is to focus on balanced, nutritious meals that are naturally warming, such as soups and stews. Prioritize lean protein and fiber to increase satiety. Ensure you stay well-hydrated and maintain a regular exercise routine, even indoors, to help regulate metabolism and mood.