The Science Behind Your Favorite Winter Foods

Pumpkin isn’t on the menu for Thanksgiving because it's leftover from Halloween. Your favorite winter foods are filled with nutrients that are most effective at nourishing you when they’re in-season. There's a scientific reason you crave certain foods at specific times of year.

Traditionally, changing seasons meant a change in the foods our ancestors had access to, says Nikki Ostrower, an integrative nutritionist and founder of NAO Wellness. "We still tend to eat the foods traditionally consumed during the season."