Ebertville

In terms of quality, Planeat is one of the finest documentaries exploring the toll that industrial animal production takes on our health and environment. It stands with Cowspiracy and Forks Over Knives as one of the paramount films on the subject, which is a concern that is receiving great attention from the public in recent years. And rightly so, there is simply no way around the fact that the industrialization of our food supply is unsustainable.

Planeat stands apart as a finely crafted European look at the subject and should be considered a must-watch for anyone curious to learn the state of the scientific research that's taking place.

This is the only documentary I've seen that's on par with the quality of Cowspiracy and Forks Over Knives. It's perfectly executed and covers all of the messages that are essential to the vegan movement. What's more, it is by far the most heartfelt film on these subjects, and never loses track of the core arguments at any point throughout.

Not only is the vegan message delivered perfectly, but modern nutritional science is also well treated. If you took nothing else away from Live and Let Live, other than an awareness of the consequences of how what you eat affects you, that would be an achievement in itself.

If you want to make a fundamental change to the world that can begin this very instant, watch.

The premise of Recipe Rehab is taking typical American dishes and making them healthy. American foods is high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt, and low in nutrients and fresh ingredients. Recipe Rehab's approach is to make replacements and adjustments to everyday recipes, turning dangerously unhealthy foods into satisfying and nutritious meals. Health concerns aside though, in every scenario I would take the Recipe Rehab recipe over the traditional dish.

Most of their recipes use fresh and "super-food" ingredients (chia, dates, coconut, nuts, yogurt, greens, etc) from stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Almost every ingredient on the show comes from one of these two stores, although it doesn't seem to be sponsored by either of them (otherwise the labels wouldn't be taped over).

All of their episodes are available to watch for free online at the CBS website (Google it), and I've been catching up on the whole series with my wife. I'm quite astonished at how different it is from your typical cooking show. She is more interested in the recipes, while I'm constantly finding new healthy food replacements. I'm intrigued by little switches like substituting cream for pureed raw almonds, or a delicious icing made from nothing more than tofu, maple syrup, coconut oil, and natural flavorings (in "Chef Richard's Carrot Cupcakes").

There are so many horrible cooking shows on TV, telling American's to revel in their obesity by pouring on the butter and animal fats. The Food Channel's lineup is downright grotesque. In another decade our entire generation will be paying the price with an even more dire obesity epidemic.

Recipe Rehab is a refreshing alternative and offers a host of recipes and food swaps that can really change the way you and your family eat for the better. If nothing else, it's a great way to learn to use all of the incredible food options that are available at modern grocery stores like Trader Joe's.