Why not appeal to our children’s love of movies to help educate them on the issues surrounding eating? That said, it’s a good idea for parents to preview all movies to make sure they are friendly for their particular kids. For example, I thought I’d want both my kids to watch Fed Up, but after viewing it, I knew that the information would make my youngest child too anxious. Instead, I spoon-fed my whole family facts from Fed Up. Most of these films are not suitable for younger children.
1. Fed Up
This film follows families battling to lead healthier lives while it indicts the food industry and the U.S. government for hiding sugar in 75 percent of packaged foods.
2. Sugar Coated: How the Food Industry Seduced the World One Spoonful at a Time
Sugar expert Dr. Robert Lustig says Fed Up tells us how we got to where we are today, while Sugar Coated tells us why we got to where we are today.
3. That Sugar Film
Common Sense Media calls this film “a quirky, energetic documentary that follows Australian TV star Damon Gameau through a 60-day lifestyle experiment that reveals potentially shocking truths about foods often perceived as ‘healthy’ by society,” and rates it OK for kids ages 10 and older.
4. Forks Over Knives
Researchers examine what happens when people change their diets from animal-based to plant-based. Can this change help eliminate or control diseases like cancer and diabetes?
5. Food, Inc.
This film investigates how corporations have taken over all aspects of the food chain in the United States.
6. TEDTalks: Chew on This
This is a Netflix collection of videos with master bakers, food scientists, chefs, farmers and foodies that offers “a taste of truth about food.”
7. Hungry for Change
This documentary exposes the diet industry’s strategies to prevent people from losing and keeping off weight.
8. Nourish
Tracing our relationship to food from a global perspective, this film explores how food connects to issues such as biodiversity, climate change, public health and social justice, and asks viewers to think about how they can “vote with [their] fork.”
9. Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution
In this TV show, suitable for family viewing with even younger children, Oliver visits American cities to help the residents lead healthier lives.
