Like communism, vegetables might sound great in theory but, statistically, Americans choose steaks over rutabagas almost every time. McMeat outsells McSalads, and no one heads to Charley’s for the asparagus.
The road to Bern’s is paved with good intentions. What’s a wanna-be vegan to do?
Never fear, reluctant omnivores. We’ve got your back. Take a look-see at these dolphin-safe, grass-fed, non-GMO films and books about why you really, really want to step away from the pork chop. You may not emerge from our vegan film and book festival a vegan yourself, but consider yourself warned: you’ll never look at a roasted chicken the same way again.
Get the (vegan) buttered popcorn…
Food, Inc. Perhaps the most powerful film on this list because it doesn’t preach; instead, the filmmakers lay out facts. Don’t watch this on a full stomach, and it’s entirely possible you won’t want chicken for a long, long time after the credits roll. Food, Inc. takes the viewer uncomfortably close to how their food gets made, and from the moment the narrator explains that McDonald’s buys more apples, beef and potatoes than any other company in the country and thus controls how these things get made, you know you’re in for a bumpy ride. Author Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser (more on them in a bit) help viewers wander through the jungle of factory food production. The filmmakers didn’t make this film to push people into veganism, which is clear when the film moves from the horrors of being a factory chicken into how Monsanto has forever altered the lives of vegetable farmers and changed the genetic makeup of what we grow. From seeds to steak, nothing is safe.
Forks Over Knives. The doctors behind this film (a nutritional scientist, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and a surgeon, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn) explain how eating animal products and byproducts (anything that had a face, essentially) directly contributes to the degenerative diseases — hypertension, cholesterol, cancer, diabetes — overtaking America. Don’t think this movie insists people adopt a wholly vegan lifestyle, though: The push here is to adopt a plant-based lifestyle, one where a serving of meat is far less than that 16-ounce prime rib.
Earthlings. Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, this film deals with puppy mills, animal testing and any industry that relies on animals for profit. If you can’t watch those Sarah McLachlan commercials without crying, you may want to ease into this one. Start off with the gruesome footage in Food, Inc. and work your way up.
Curl up with a cup of (dairy free) cocoa and a good book…
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Ever wondered what it’s like in a slaughterhouse? The gift of Eric Schlosser's book is his descriptive power. Tell us fast food ruins us, we don’t listen. Talk about the blood running over your shoes in the slaughterhouse floor as you look into a cow’s dying eyes, we can't forget. Of course, it’ll also be pretty tough to swing by Burger King after you finish the last chapter.
In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. Pollan boils down his philosophy to one, pleasant thought: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” And, because it’s Pollan, that translates into a couple hundred pages of engagingly written evidence to support just that.
So, yeah. We’re not even pretending this list falls on the side of “cheerful.” We’re also not saying — and this matters, so listen up — not to eat meat. We’re saying if you do, watch these movies, read these books, and, for the love of all things furry and cute, please choose wisely.
This article appears in Jan 21-27, 2016.