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Cold winter mornings and shorter days do more than make people yearn for a warm-weather vacation. It's the time of year when many people crave comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese, meat loaf and mashed potatoes, or chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven - foods that if eaten often and in large quantities can lead to winter weight gain.

But cravings for comfort foods don't have to send your healthy-eating efforts off the rails. Learning why you crave certain foods - and how to manage those cravings - can keep your diet on track.

Comfort foods are eaten in specific situations to obtain a psychological effect. They bring back positive memories associated with childhood meals, important people or other pleasurable events. They're often foods that "stick to your ribs," providing a sense of fullness and satisfaction.

Many people turn to their favourite comfort foods when there is less sunlight. People tend to feel happier and more energetic in the spring and summer, when there are more hours of daylight, and they feel more down and lethargic in the fall and winter.

It's thought that winter food cravings are linked to levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that improves mood, reduces appetite and promotes sleep. Research has found that our brain's production of serotonin is lowest in the winter months. As sunlight dwindles, so do proteins called serotonin transporters, and that deprives the brain and nerves of this feel-good chemical.

Eating carbohydrate-rich foods such as mashed potatoes, pasta, ice cream or cookies increases the brain's production of serotonin and makes you feel better, at least temporarily.

For some people, dips in serotonin can also cause seasonal affective disorder, a condition that triggers cravings for sweets and starches as well as feelings of depression, fatigue and lethargy during the winter. (If you think you may have seasonal affective disorder, speak to your doctor to discuss a treatment plan.)

Lack of sunlight isn't the only reason people crave certain foods. Research suggests that comfort foods may blunt the body's response to chronic stress by causing the release of dopamine, another feel-good brain chemical.

Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco found that 24 hours after they activated the chronic stress system of rats, the animals were prompted to engage in pleasure-seeking behaviours including eating high-fat, high-sugar foods. Once the rats had overindulged, and gained weight, they calmed down.

The scientists speculate that once energy stores are replenished, a signal (likely from body fat) tells the brain to produce less stress-related hormones.

Your mood can also drive the urge to eat. According to a recent Cornell University study, people feeling sad or depressed tend to eat more of less-healthy comfort foods than when they feel happy. Other factors that can rev up your appetite for comfort foods include lack of sleep, deprivation diets ("I'll never eat ice cream or French fries again") and the hormonal fluctuations of premenstrual syndrome.

There's nothing wrong with soothing your mood with your favourite comfort food, but if eating it becomes a habit after the stress is over, the extra calories can spell weigh gain. Cravings are thought to activate the part of the brain involved in habit formation. If you condition yourself to snack while watching TV, and it makes you feel good, you're likely to do so again and again.

The good news: Not all comfort foods are unhealthy. When researchers from Cornell asked 1,004 Americans to list their favourite comfort foods, 40 per cent mentioned healthy foods such as pasta, soup, meats and casseroles. Stews and casseroles, even shepherd's pie, can offer nutritional benefits if made to recipes that are lower in fat and sugar.

If you find yourself seeking solace from food this winter, the following strategies can help you short-circuit cravings and prevent weight gain.

UNDERSTAND YOUR MOTIVATION

The key to managing cravings is not to avoid the food, but to learn what's motivating you to want it. If you're stressed out at the end of the day, take 15 minutes - away from the kitchen - to unwind before opening the fridge.

If your mood or stress causes you to graze on comfort foods, allow yourself a small portion of your favourite food and then prepare your meal.

AVOID RESTRICTIVE DIETS

If you're dieting to lose weight, include your favourite food once a week to prevent feeling deprived. Make comfort food part of your meal rather than a snack eaten on impulse.

Embrace comfort food by eating what you really want, but in a small portion.

MAKE A HEALTHIER VERSION

Keep the comfort but lose the calories by substituting high-fat ingredients with lower-fat ones. Make chili with lean ground turkey instead of ground beef, top shepherd's pie with puréed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, or try sherbet instead of full-fat ice cream. Increase the nutritional value of homemade comfort foods by adding vegetables or beans when possible.

EAT MORE OFTEN

It's advice I dispense over and over again to manage weight, boost energy or prevent cravings. Eat three balanced meals and one or two snacks to keep blood sugar and brain chemical levels stable.

READ NUTRITION LABELS

Knowing how many calories are in a bowl of ice cream or bag of potato chips can dampen your desire to munch. For packaged foods, read the nutrition facts box before snacking. If you still want those calories, measure out one serving - don't eat from the bag.

LET THE LIGHT IN

Get outside on sunny days. Go for a skate or participate in other outdoor activities.

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic, is on CTV's Canada AM every Wednesday. Her website is lesliebeck.com.