I baked a loaf of sourdough bread for the first time this week, which taught me some lessons about how food affects my sense of identity. My lunch today was very simple: two slices of sourdough bread with a bit of jam. To me, this plain meal is at least twice as satisfying as a hamburger from any restaurant. I think it has to do with something I’m calling the “spiritual dimension” of food. One could also call it the “emotional” or “intangible” dimension of food, but I like the idea of a meal having a dual nature that feeds both our bodies and our spirits.

The consumption of food provides us with the nutrients needed for life, but it’s much more than that, like a job is more than just a source of income. Decisions about what we eat, how we eat, and with whom we eat are important components of the development of identity.

The spiritual dimension of food is those components of food decisions that contribute to the nourishment of our spirits — the intangible parts of who we are. These are our connections to other people, connections to our environment, and our knowledge, preferences, and abilities.

For me, the decision to make and eat sourdough was partially motivated by a desire to be more involved in the food that I eat. By cooking for myself, I take more responsibility for my nutrition. I am responsible for selecting and preparing the ingredients. I reduce external dependencies on the (flavor and price) preferences of other people. Simultaneously, I increase my ability to provide for other people — now that I know how to make sourdough bread, I can (and did) share it with other people. Being more involved in the details of my life gives me power to modify my life in the ways that I choose.