Food for Thought: Eating Sugarless at Lawrenceville

          Everyone loves dessert: it’s a known fact. Who would not want to give in to the sublime bliss after the first bite of ice cream or that melting, gooey center of a cookie when you can do nothing but close your eyes and thank God for sugar. Whether it's a scoop of Moon Rocks at Melba, a Gingered Peach cinnamon bun, or a heated chocolate chip cookie from the Bath House, sugar is impossible to resist: or is it? 

          III Former Victoria Slavov would beg to differ. For the entire month of September, she and I challenged ourselves to a no-dessert-or-processed/added-sugar-diet. What madness drove this decision? According to Slavov, “The goal is to see how I feel at the end of the month and whether or not my sugar cravings have gone down.” She expressed the short and long-term benefits of the challenge, saying that “cutting down on sugar has forced me to turn to healthier alternatives, especially fruits. Hopefully in the future I’ll willingly choose these non-processed options instead of going for dessert right away.” Slavov explained that she also tried the challenge last year but “failed miserably after two days.” She now believes that “having a partner makes it easier because you feel like you owe it to each other not to give in to the temptation, and you can hold each other accountable.” 

          Slavov said that the hardest part of the nutritional challenge is watching her friends eat dessert in front of her and having to resist, but she elaborated, believing that “although it’s hard, and at times, downright painful, at the end of the day I feel better about myself and happy knowing that I’m choosing my long-term health over momentary pleasure.” Slavov and I are still going strong, and with only a few days left, the former is already envisioning October 1, when the challenge ends. Slavov said that her cravings vary by day, but mostly she longs for “a scoop of butter pecan ice cream between two chocolate chip cookies, sandwich style.” We plan to “completely gorge” ourselves at Melba on the first day after the challenge, before focusing on slowly incorporating sugar back into our diet so as to not transition back to unhealthy eating habits right away. As of now, our friends are wishing us good luck and congratulations as we near the end of what feels like the longest month of our lives.

          For other students, this one-month challenge is a lifestyle. Sofi Keith ’25 has been on an even more hardcore diet since 2020. Keith eats nothing processed or refined, explaining, “when my grandfather died of Alzheimer's, my mom got really into how diet can help prevent neurological diseases. My mom has always been very healthy, and she got the family into functional medicine and using diet as medicine.” Unlike Slavov, Keith has been nutritionally-conscious for three years and has noticed various benefits. She feels she has way more energy and motivation. She has noticed her skin and hair feel healthier, and her nails feel stronger. She also observed she has been thinking about what she eats more consciously, so she is much more mindful when it comes to food. But as a boarder with Tsai Commons’ food as her main option, keeping up the diet is difficult. Keith says, “When I’m restricted to Tsai, I like to build a bowl that hits all the food groups: veggies from the salad bar, protein from the main area, and healthy fats from nuts. Truthfully, I go grocery shopping at Trader Joes and Whole Foods and cook in the Carter kitchen about three times a week, but I know that's not accessible for everyone.” For those interested in her diet, Keith also offers this advice: “I do big meal preps on the weekends, or when I have free time on Wednesdays, and store it in the fridge so I can have quick and accessible meals later on.” 

          In an age where dietary restrictions have become so common, we easily overlook how much time and effort go into planning each meal and how difficult it can be to refrain from picking the unhealthy food option. Lawrenceville students could work together to create a safer and more supportive environment for those with restrictions and maybe even find a partner and try a nutrition challenge or two.