Photo: Vigneault / Flickr

A new documentary is hoping to help people make the shift from meat and dairy to a more sustainable vegan diet. For people used to eating meat and potatoes, switching to vegetables, whole grains and vegan sources of protein can be tough. Vegucated is part comedy, part sociological experiment, following three meat lovers who give up all animal products for six weeks.

More than steak at stake

The team behind Vegucated wrote on Kindgreenplanet.org that the three characters the documentary follows ‘have no idea that so much more than steak is at stake and that the planet’s fate may fall on their plates. Lured by tales of weight lost and health regained, they begin to uncover hidden sides of animal agriculture that make them wonder whether solutions offered in films like Food, Inc. go far enough.’

Shifting perspectives

Vegucated was made by animal activist Marisa Miller Wolfson in the hope that the documentary will ‘further the conversation about our culture and our relationship to animals, our planet, and our bodies through our food.’ The film is intended to witness the physical changes, the shift in perspective and the social and emotional challenges of choosing a vegan diet.

Long-time vegan Moby said ‘Vegucated is one of the most effective films I’ve seen about the myriad reasons everyone should consider a vegan diet.’

Raising awareness, raising funds

Vegucated started a page on crowdsourcing website Kickstarter, hoping to raise $20,000 in a month to fund the documentary’s theatrical, digital and DVD release this autumn. The film reached its goal in under a week and has now set a new goal for a wider release.

If you’re interested in contributing, visit the Vegucated Kickstarter page. A series of gifts, including a GetVegucated.com t-shirt designed by Vaute Couture, a signed DVD and a private tour of Peter Max’s art studio are on offer for people who donate to the cause.

Tags: eating healthily, health, Healthy diet, vegan