It's not just you: Here why we feel hungrier during winter

It may be that you are craving more hot drinks through the day, or pasta, or curries or simply the thought of tuna and salad is about as appealing as a lump of clay for lunch right now.

Chances are you are craving warming, salty, comfort foods, and a lot more of them.

While the temperatures in Australia are relatively mild compared to many countries in the northern hemisphere, it has certainly been chilly this winter, and you will be pleased to know there are several scientific reasons you are wired to seek out more food at this time of year.

It's in the programming

Whether you feel the cold in general, are exposed to more extreme weather conditions where you live, or are visiting a colder place, the body is programmed to preserve core body temperature.

This means if you are feeling especially cold, you may also notice an increase in appetite as the body utilises greater amounts of energy to help maintain its baseline temperature.

Eating more, and more protein in particular also results in extra heat being produced, via a process called thermogenesis, which too helps the body to maintain ideal body temperature.

It may be linked to mood

The cooler months of the year are notorious for lower mood, which may be related to shorter days and less sun exposure.

Shorter days may not only impact the natural regulation of hormones that control appetite, but also serotonin levels.

Low serotonin can result in changes to hunger, driving us to seek out more food, and higher carbohydrate foods in particular as the body seeks to optimise the levels of this feel good hormone in the body.

It may be linked to your Vitamin D levels

With up to 25 per cent of Australian adults or up to 4 million people with low Vitamin D levels in the winter months, any drive to eat more may be indirectly linked to low levels of this key fat-soluble Vitamin D.

Vitamin D plays a number of roles in the body, including hormone production. It is thought that low levels may impact the production of hormones involved in appetite regulation and as such, may in turn drive the desire to eat more.

You are at home more

The biggest predictor of discretionary food intake is availability, which means that if you are spending more time at home through the winter months, you will be more likely to eat any food, higher-calorie treat style food in particular, if it is within easy reach.

This also means that if you are trying to keep your calorie intake controlled, the less tempting food you keep at home, the better.

You are watching more TV

Long Winter nights and chilly, rainy weekends may lend themselves to more time in front of the TV, and if you are used to snacking or indulging in comfort food while you watch a series or movie, it may explain why you find yourself eating more at this time of year.

In addition, don't forget that food manufacturers will also seize this opportunity to advertise more tempting, comfort foods like pizza, chocolate biscuits and other indulgent snack foods at times when we are more likely to be tempted to order in these kinds of delicious, discretionary foods.