A Celiac's Favorite Food Documentaries on Netflix

Maybe it's the fact that I'm out of college for the summer and therefore have brain cells to spare. Maybe it's just my love for everything food related. Whatever the reason, Netflix and I have recently been bonding over our shared love of food documentaries.

Which free-to-stream documentaries are worth savoring and which should be skipped? Here's the five documentaries that this college celiac has been digging devouring lately!

From my favorite addiction, Netflix! ;)

1. Chef's Table

I'd heard rave reviews from other bloggers about this series and, considering that I binged through the first season within a few days, this episodic documentary is definitely worthy of the praise! Each episode features a different chef, ranging from Massimo Bottura, who redefines Italian classics, to Francis Mallman, lover of fire-pit cooking. I'll admit I was especially excited to hear/watch Niki Nakayama's story - cause, after all, girl power!

If you've ever wondered how elite chefs' minds work, this is the series for you! I can't promise that you'll understand the chefs by the end - but you'll definitely have a greater appreciation for food, cooking and restaurant life!

Though my food appreciation is already pretty high...

(And I might have just discovered that season 2 is now available on Netflix...I know what I'll be watching this week!)

2. Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (1 & 2)

This was actually the first food documentary I ever watched (thank you Netflix for your apt suggestions) and, after finishing the first one, I immediately watched the second. The first film follows one man, Joe Cross, as he tries to reset his unhealthy lifestyle by going on a 60-day juice cleanse. Joe Cross is often credited for introducing the juice cleanse to mainstream society and it definitely was interesting to watch him, an Australian, experience American culture while on his fast! The second documentary revisits both men featured in the first film and explores the importance of friend/family support while making dietary changes.

Because friends who eat together stay together!

It is important to remember that this is a documentary with some commercial motivation, i.e., selling Joe's juicing books and promoting the juicing industry as a whole. However, I definitely had a new appreciation for fruits and veggies by the end of both documentaries, as well as how lucky I am to have grown up in a family with a relatively healthy diet. 

3. Foodies: The Culinary Jet Set

I just watched this a few days ago and while the first few minutes may make you want to click "pause," keep going! This is actually a very interesting documentary about the most elite level of foodie: those who can afford to travel to the most renown restaurants in the world and blog about their experiences. Crazy? Maybe. Great subject for a documentary. Definitely!

Then again, we foodies are known for a few quirks...

As a food blogger, this documentary obviously falls right in my (zucchini?) ball park. This would make an interesting watch, though, even if you're only interested in learning about the highest rated (and highest costing!) restaurants in the world.

4. Forks Over Knives

This one is definitely a more medically-based documentary, but it kept my interest the whole 1 hour and 30 minutes - mainly because the facts it shares kept blowing my mind. In particular, this documentary explores the tie between processed and animal-based foods, and disease. While it definitely features plenty of interviews with medical professionals, I appreciated that the film also features "regular" people like a vegan bodybuilder and an elderly woman who survived two heart attacks after changing her diet.

Potato power?

Though my mom seemed surprised at my "educated" choice of summer show, even she got drawn in by some of the studies, stories and facts. If you want to learn more about food and healthy eating, but don't want to drown in textbooks, this could be your Netflix binge of choice! (Keep in mind, however, similar commercial motivations as Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead - like selling a meal delivery program or diet plan).

5. Soul Food Junkies*

Compared to other documentaries that often take a medical or foodie approach, this documentary is more of a social commentary: it explores the relationship between "soul food" and health problems in the African American community. As someone who knew nothing about soul food, it was definitely an interesting peek into a different community's eating habits.

This is the perfect watch for anyone interested in food, race, food as medicine or black history. Be warned, though: you might end up drooling over the fried foods shown throughout!

It made me dream of these from Disney World...

*This documentary is, unfortunately, no longer available for streaming. You can watch it via DVD, however. I am also in the process of watching the new documentary, "What's With Wheat?"*

Ironically enough, before this summer, I was never a big documentary person. A show that features facts instead of murder mysteries never piqued my interest. After getting a taste of these food films, though, I hope that more people will try changing up their usual Netflix choices.

Because what more could viewers want than food for thought and food for their stomachs?


*Also found at Flaunt it Friday, Food & Fitness, and RunningwithSpoons! *

Do you Netflix? If so, what? What food documentaries do you recommend?