Binge watching is inevitable, even in midterm season. But instead of mindlessly watching the entire “Gossip Girl” series for the 16th time, watch a food documentary. A good food doc about the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of food, as well as the food industry, could even inspire a study snack, or stimulate your brain to think critically about what you’re eating.
1. “What The Health”
This documentary makes a compelling case for going vegan, while being incredibly capturing, and even funny along the way. While some of the claims seem a little far-fetched (like eating an egg a day is as bad as smoking five cigarettes), the filmmakers really do produce an intriguing link between diet and disease. It really does offer some food for thought through investigative filmmaking on the relationship between the government, pharmaceutical companies, and health organizations.
2. “Fed Up”
Even suspending my huge Katie Couric bias (love her), this documentary is riveting. This doc explores childhood obesity for 90 minutes, claiming sugar as the culprit (the common-sense link may not sound exciting, but it is). The focus on “Big Sugar,” lobbying powers, and US government guidelines that condoned unhealthy levels of sugar consumption shows a policy-oriented view of obesity.
3. “Ithihas Ki Thali Se”
This four episode series does an incredible job of giving a historical overview of India’s rich cultural cuisine, ranging from everyday staples to decadent desserts. Guaranteed to make you starving, each episode consists of delectable shots of the featured food as well as visually pleasing animations of the backstory of every dish. It’s a light watch, but you’ll pick up some interesting fun facts along the way.
4. “To The Bone”
While this isn’t technically a food documentary, it is a must see. Starring Lily Collins and based on the true story of the director’s early battle with an eating disorder, this drama is a harrowing tale of one teen’s battle and road to self discovery with such a prevalent problem in our day and age–anorexia. You’ll cry and laugh and experience every emotion in between, and actually learn a lot about Anorexia Nervosa, which is not a cut and dry topic. This movie will have you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire thing.
Honorable mentions include “Chef’s Table,” a docu-series that is currently on Season 3 (and Emmy-nominated), which is created by David Gelb, the genius behind “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” (which is also amazing and readily available on Netflix). All in all, you can’t go wrong when perusing Netflix’s extensive food documentary library.