The best food documentaries of all time

Since food is essential to survival, it’s not surprising that there are a plethora of documentaries that focus specifically on food, health and wellness. Watching food-related documentaries is one of the best ways to understand the human relationship with food and how it affects health. A good food documentary can weave together incredible stories about food, how it is produced and the people who produce it. In addition, they shed light on how complicated the food industry is. Here are some of the best food documentaries of all time:

6/6 Vegetarian (2011)

Vegetarian follows three meat-and-cheese-loving New Yorkers as they challenge themselves by transitioning to an all-vegan diet. For six weeks, they should stay away from meat, eggs and all types of dairy products, including cheese and butter. During their ‘vegucation’ trial, the three are also taught factory farming, which means they are exposed to the inhumane treatment of animals. The vegan lifestyle may not be for everyone, but the documentary really helps to highlight the divide between livestock farming and the consumption of meat. It brings to light the ethical issues surrounding the food industry and the cruel treatment of animals. The documentary stars Howard Lyman, an American farmer and animal rights activist, and Stephen R. Kaufman, a former acting US attorney. It even features a cameo from Kneel Cohn, lead singer and guitarist for Warshow Angels and The Dead Stars on Hollywood.

5/6 Bite Mate (2014)

Obesity and diabetes are growing health problems in the United States. According to research, one in three children in the United States is overweight. Bite size highlights this concern by following four overweight American pre-teens as they struggle with their eating habits, as they try to keep their bodies healthy. Although the four stories all deal with the same topics, each story is unique to the person and their relationship with food. In addition, the documentary highlights the struggles of overweight pre-teens, such as bullying. For those trying to lose weight, the documentary provides insight into different ways one can lose weight while maintaining a happy and healthy relationship with food.

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4/6 That Sugar Movie (2014)

That sugar movie follows Australian documentary filmmaker Damon Gameau as he investigates the hidden sugar in everyday food and the effect it can have on one’s body. Over the course of 60 days, Gameau replaces his normal diet, which contains no refined sugar, with a diet low in fat but high in sugar (160 grams or 40 tsp sugar per day). Throughout the documentary, viewers are introduced to the “bliss point”, which refers to the amount of sugar one can add to food to ensure optimal desirability.

Adding more sugar past the “bliss point” leads to a decrease in the desirability of the food. As a result of the experiment, Gameau gained weight, became more lethargic and even developed fatty liver disease. The documentary also features performances by popular Australian actors such as Hugh Jackman, Stephen Fry, Isabel Lucas and Brenton Thwaites. It makes you want to look twice at the ingredients label on their food before eating.

3/6 Jiro Dreaming of Sushi (2011)

Jiro Dreaming of Sushi follows Jiro Ono, a then 85-year-old, who is considered the the world’s best sushi chef. Directed by David Gelb, the documentary revolves around Jiro, who owns Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat sushi restaurant in a subway station. Jiro’s restaurant was the first Japanese establishment of its kind to receive three Michelin stars. One has to book months in advance to get a reservation at the restaurant. The documentary also features two of Jiro’s sons, Yoshikazu and Takashi. The younger son, Takashi, followed in his father’s footsteps and opened his own restaurant in Roppongi Hills, while Yoshikazu, the eldest son, is teaming up with his father in hopes of one day succeeding him. Watching the documentary will definitely make you want some sushi.

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2/6 Super Size Me (2004)

Starring independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, Super size me will make anyone crave Mcdonald’s or never want to eat from the fast food franchise again. The documentary follows Spurlock as he eats nothing but McDonald’s for a month, breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, everything. The documentary captures the drastic effects, both mental and physical, that Spurlock’s new eating habits have on his health and well-being. During the documentary, Spurlock ate everything on the McDonald’s menu at least once, averaging 5,000 kcal per day. Despite walking 2 km a day, Spurlock still gained 11.1 kg, a 13% increase in body weight and raised his cholesterol level to 230 mg/dL. In addition, the experiment caused Spurlock to suffer from mood swings, sexual dysfunction and fat buildup in his liver. Spurlock later revealed that it took him fourteen months to lose all the weight he gained in that one month.

Super size me highlights how large corporate giants care little to no about healthy food and only care about their own profit. Spurlock’s film was nominated for an Academy Award and even won Best Documentary Screenplay at the Writers Guild of America. Spurlock also released a follow-up documentary in 2017 called Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken.

1/6 Cowspiracy: the sustainability secret (2014)

Produced and directed by Kip Anderson and Keegan Kuhn, Cowspiracy: the sustainability secret delves deep into the food industry and offers some shocking insights from the meat and dairy industry. The documentary explores the impact of livestock farming on the environment; it draws links between the former and environmental issues such as climate change, water use, deforestation and ocean dead zones. It takes it a step further by examining the policies that various environmental organizations have proposed to address the problem.

The documentary has been criticized for falsely claiming that ranching is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions, among other environmental issues. Despite the criticism, Cowspiracy won the Audience Choice Award at the 2015 South African Eco Film Festival and the Best Foreign Film Award at the 12th annual Festival de films de Portneuf sur l’environnement.