The Netflix Food Documentaries That Will Change The Way You Eat Forever
Nothing like a heart-tugging, fact-spitting, semi-traumatizing (the good kind of trauma) vegan documentary to help you change your ways.
If something in you is nudging you towards a plant-based lifestyle, but there’s something holding you back:
A) You’re not alone
B) This post might help you
There are people that have been able to make the switch to plant-based in an instant.
I am not those people.
I’ve been on this journey into 100% plant-based for about 5 years now. It started during my year long backpacking, soul-searching adventure in India, where searching for God is synonymous with vegetarianism.
For me, it’s been a slowly yet steady transition, eliminating pork first, then beef and chicken, recently seafood and 90% of my cheese intake (I’m getting there, BUT PIZZAAAA UGH).
I’m not here to shame or guilt you into changing your eating habits. That’s not nice, nor effective. I’m simply here to share my food journey and the tools that have helped me transition along the way.
Some of those tools being these Netflix food documentaries. They are that effective.
The reason being is the facts they share are undeniable. Plus the visuals will leave an imprint on your heart you simply cannot ignore. Some of it is light and informative, some of it is heavy and emotionally charged. The two together will challenge everything you know and give you just enough of a nudge towards a healthier, plant-based diet.
Sometimes all we need are facts and visuals to help us make permanent changes in our diet and lifestyle.
Now, I know documentaries are biased. They are designed that way. I always go in with a *skeptic* open mind and heart. But the documentaries I’m sharing today left such an impression on me, it was exactly what I needed to make the change.
These are the Netflix vegan documentaries that will change the way you eat forever:
source: cowspiracy.com
Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret
I’m starting with one of my favorites, Cowspiracy. Unlike a lot of food documentaries that cover the detrimental health effects of animal protein, Kip takes a different approach, focusing on the detrimental effects it has on climate change.
Now, to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Kip’s interview style. I feel like he’s trapping organization representatives with leading questions. I get the point he’s trying to make, but I didn’t love how it had to be at the cost of embarrassing others. That’s just me. But the facts are the facts and Kip delivers them.
Kip uncovers the damaging effects animal agriculture has on the planet, which surprise, surprise, is the MOST destructive industry facing Mama Earth today.
Animal agriculture is the leading cause of rainforest deforestation, water consumption and pollution. It is responsible for species extinction, habitat loss, and topsoil erosion. It accounts for more greenhouse gases than the transportation industry, yet they’re keeping these facts from the public, keeping us distracted with reducing plastic (which is still important, but just one solution.)
He reveals the very industries that are designed to help protect the planet are in bed with the very ones destroying it.
“Livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, or 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.” - cowspiracy.com
If you’re passionate about environmental causes, watch this and consider a plant-based diet in addition to avoiding single-use plastic.
source: seaspiracy.com
Seaspiracy
From the creator of Cowspiracy, Seaspiracy is similar in that it tackles the environemental impact of animal consumption, but instead of focusing on beef, we’re talking seafood. This one is heavy. It’s the one I most recently watched, so the footage and facts are still fresh.
Again, don’t love the leading questions approach that is similar to Cowspiracy, but I do love the facts and visuals Ali, the director, shares—which are undeniable.
“Fishing has become a major threat to coral reefs from the Middle East to the Caribbean, where 90% of large fish has disappeared.” - seaspiracy.com
Ali takes us on a journey around Asia, Europe and Africa, unearthing the deep, dark secrets of the fishing industry. From commercial whaling to overfishing to microplastics to fish farm slavery, the entire documentary will have you questioning how seafood can really be sustainable. Hint: It can’t—not at the rate we’re going.
What the Health
Another groundbreaking documentary from the creators of Cowspiracy, What the Health exposes how government and big business influences what we eat. Kip (same guy from Cowspiracy) tells us meat, fish, poultry, and dairy are fattening us up, giving us cancer and Type-2 diabetes, and poisoning us with toxins.
The documentary examines the link between diet and disease, and the billions of dollars at stake in the healthcare, pharmaceutical and food industries. It sheds light on how our food industries are in bed with big Pharma.
This one is a bit controversial. (I admire Kip’s passion for creating change in our food industry—really I do. But his job as a documentarian is to elicit an emotional reaction and side with him. Here’s a more neutral take.) Still, absolutely worth watching!
source: gamechangersmovie.com
Game Changers
Game Changers is one of my favorites! This revolutionary documentary highlights vegan athletes and debunks some the more popular protein myths. Presented by celebrities like James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan, even the most fanatic meat heads will leave questioning their body building routines.
The documentary highlights the benefits of plant-based eating for athletes and non-athletes. It showcases success stories of plant-based athletes, references scientific studies, and touches on fact-checked arguments for plant-based diets.
source: forksoverknives.com
Forks Over Knives
Forks Over Knives showcases a plant-based diet that can save you from chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. It claims that most, if not all, chronic diseases can be reversed by eliminating animal protein and processed foods (that part—PROCESSED. FOOD.)
Food is medicine, and that’s exactly what this films proves. The film follows everyday Americans with chronic conditions as they seek to reduce their dependence on medications and learn to use a whole-food, plant-based diet to regain control over their health.
source: takepart.com
There are just so many good ones, I couldn’t leave these off the list. These are worth noting, but I won’t get too into detail because you have a life and I want you to get back to it, but not before adding these to your Netflix watch list:
The Milk System: About the diary industry and the cruelty diary cows face for the sake of human consumption.
Food, Inc.: Learn how to fix our broken food system with this documentary.
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead: Joe shows us how he got his life back with a 60-day juice fast.
Supersize Me: A classic, about a guy that ate nothing but McDonald’s for a month and guess what happened…
Hungry For Change: The shocking secrets the diet, weight-loss and food industry don’t want you to know.
GMO OMG: Explore the corporate takeover and potential loss of humanity's most precious and ancient inheritance: seeds.
