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The best health and food documentaries on Netflix

Looking for some good eye-opening documentaries to watch? Here are some of the best health and food documentaries on Netflix
By
April 5, 2020
Netflix Originals next to popcorn stock photo 2

Everyone loves food, but some of us really love food. And of course, if people love something, there’s bound to be TV shows, movies, and documentaries about it. Here are some of the best health and food documentaries on Netflix!

Best health and food documentaries on Netflix:

Best Netflix food documentaries

1. The Chef Show

the chef show with john favreau

Jon Favreau, who dabbled with culinary big-screen adventures in Chef, and chef Roy Choi join forces in this part cooking show part docu-series that showcases great food from all over the US. It’s a light-hearted show that is compelling and fun because everyone on-screen is also having a great time. Of course, a lot of celebrities and celebrity chefs make an appearance too. If you ever wanted to see a foodie version of Marvel’s Avengers, this is the show for you. Eight half-hour episodes are available in volume 1 of the first season, but there’s very likely going to be a whole lot more.

2. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

jiro dreams of sushi documentary

Sukiyabashi Jiro, or more widely known as Sushi Jiro, is one of the most famous sushi restaurants in the world. It’s expensive, and getting a reservation is hard enough that there are guides online on how to go about it. Eating at this three Michelin star restaurant is bucket list fodder for any sushi lover and it’s all because of one man — Jiro Ono. Jiro Dreams of Sushi is an excellent documentary that showcases the life, the struggles, and the incredible success story of the man behind it all.

3. Chef’s Table

Chef's Table netflix food documentary

Want to get a look behind the curtain at the lives of the most renowned chef’s around the world? Chef’s Table is a documentary that’s made for you. Each episode takes a deep dive into the professional and personal lives of these elite culinary masters. It wonderfully showcases what makes them tick, and more importantly, where their unmitigated passion for food comes from. There are currently six volumes of Chef’s Table on Netflix, with four to six episodes each. If you want more, you can also catch a season of Chef’s Table France on the streaming platform.

4. Street Food: Asia

Street Food documentary

This one’s self-explanatory. This food documentary series takes you on a journey to explore the phenomenon that is street food. It’s as much a part of the culture as a local language is in many parts of the world, and we get to see the life and stories of the talented cooks that feed millions of people every day. In the first season that is on Netflix, “Street Food: Asia” travels across nine Asian hotspots, from New Delhi, India to Osaka, Japan.

5. Ugly Delicious

netflix food ugly delicious

Join chef David Chang as he travels around America and the world tasting food from different cultures. Joined by fellow chefs and celebrities, Chang focuses on a single food item in every episode of this docuseries. It’s not only about taste and variety, but also explores the history, rise and global impact, and cultural significance of every type of food, from pizza and tacos to curry and cajun cuisine. Chang followed up a seven-episode first season from 2018 with another four interesting outings this year.

Honorable mentions:

  • Somebody Feed Phil: Join Phil Rosenthal (creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) as he travels the globe to take in the local culture and cuisine.
  • Theater of Life: Massimo Bottura, widely considered to be the best chef in the world, brings his latest passion to life in this excellent food documentary as he attempts to tackle the rising problem of food waste in his own gourmet way.
  • Rotten: It’s not all about great food and fun times though. Rotten takes a deep dive into the world of food production and exposes the dangers of our often quite wasteful everyday food habits.

Best Netflix health documentaries

1. The C word

the c word - best netflix health documentaries

The C word is one of the best health documentaries you can watch on Netflix that tackles the fight against cancer head-on. The Morgan Freeman-narrated documentary is an exploration of how cancer can be prevented in the first place with a three-pronged approach of diet, stress management, and exercise. The C Word is also a deeply personal story for writer and director Meghan O’ Hara, who began work on this documentary after surviving cancer herself.

2. The Bleeding Edge

the bleeding edge

The Bleeding Edge aims the spotlight on an exponentially growing part of the medical industry — medical devices. This controversial documentary brings the FDA and the industry as a whole to task with regards to poor research, testing, and regulations. All of which ultimately hurt consumers while raking in billions of dollars for manufacturers. If a regulatory body isn’t going to step up, it’s up to the consumer to be more aware. That starts by watching one of the best Netflix health documentaries around.

3. Pandemic: How to prevent an outbreak

netflix health pandemic

“Pandemic: How to prevent an outbreak” takes you behind the scenes and gives you a closer look at the individuals on the front line of the battle against Influenza and their efforts to stop the next global outbreak. Yes, I know the “next” outbreak seems weird since we’re literally in the middle of one right now. However, it’s an interesting and educational watch, and might even help calm your worries a touch after knowing that there are people working hard every day to come up with solutions to fix any global health crisis.

4. The Game Changers

netflix health game changers

The Game Changers is a documentary that focuses on the exponential rise of plant-based diets and its surprisingly large impact in the world of professional sports. This documentary isn’t here to change your mind and make you switch to a plant-based diet. What it does extremely well is present relevant facts and highlight how such a diet has worked for a lot of people who have to be very careful about what they eat. If you’ve switched to a plant-based diet recently, this will likely help you stay motivated. If you haven’t, it’s not going to switch over, but is worth the watch anyway.

5. The Magic Pill

netflix health magic pill

In The Magic Pill, doctors, farmers, and chefs weigh in on the controversial ketogenic diet and its benefits not only as a weight-loss tool, but as something to eradicate common illnesses. The keto diet relies on drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and the usage of fat as the primary source of fuel. The title is overly dramatic of course. There isn’t a magic pill for health. But this documentary shows you the benefits of eating good food, staying away from anything processed, and other tips that could be useful for a lot of people.

Honorable mentions:

  • Unrest: This heart-wrenching documentary is a personal account of one person’s struggles with a condition that is often ignored, chronic fatigue syndrome.
  • What the Health: What the Health explores the link between diet and disease, and what’s at stake for the billion-dollar food, healthcare, and pharmaceutical industries.
  • The Truth about Alcohol: The Truth about Alcohol follows ER doctor Javid Abdelmoneim and he uncovers the risks and benefits of alcohol consumption.

That’s it for this roundup of some of the best health and food documentaries on Netflix!