Thoughts About Our Plate

Join us for our next Refined Minds gathering where we dive into the philosophy of how we eat.

Food is often discussed in terms of taste, nutrition and calories, but the choices we make at the grocery store or a restaurant are sometimes deeply personal reflections of our values, heritage, and even our sense of trust.

For this session, we will explore the internal logic and personal joy that guides our relationship with what we consume.

This is a space to share your personal perspective on what makes food meaningful to you. We'll explore the memories and values that shape our plates, starting with the simple question of what we love to eat and why it matters.

### We’ll explore questions like:

• Favourite Dish: We all have that one dish or ingredient we return to again and again. What is that "essential" food for you? Beyond just the flavour, what is it about the dish that makes it special? Is it Texture? Memory? Tradition? Something about it that suites your values or beliefs? Can you describe the feeling it provides that makes it so indispensable to your life?
  (Please think of one dish to share your thoughts with the group.)
• Trust: We live in a world where we rarely see the source of what we consume. When you’re looking at a menu or a grocery aisle, what are the specific "markers" or signals that allow you to feel a sense of trust in what you’re about to eat and why does that matter to you?
• In relation to the point above, would you be ok with consuming GMO food? Why or why not?
• Narrative: We often hear that food carries a "story." How does the specific journey a meal took to reach you—the hands that prepared it or the history of the recipe—change the actual experience of eating it for you?
• Connection: In what ways do your food choices reflect the type of relationship you want to have with the world? Whether it’s about the environment, your local community, or your own heritage, how does your plate act as a bridge to those things?

Whether you’re a culinary enthusiast or simply someone who has been thinking more deeply about your food, join us for a relaxed and thoughtful conversation about the "why" behind our food.

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For Confirmed Attendees: If your plans change and you find you cannot attend, please take a moment to update your RSVP on Meetup as soon as possible. As a courtesy, this makes a huge difference, allowing us to notify the people on the waiting list with enough time to join us.
For the Waiting List: Thank you for your patience! Please stay tuned, as we often see spots open up in the days leading up to the meeting.
** Where:** Vancouver Public Library Central Branch, 6th Floor, Room 690 (L6 North Meeting Room)