Zooey Deschanel is not here to be afraid of food.
Instead the first New girl star is looking for answers to common questions in the kitchen to help viewers better understand the food system and make informed grocery shopping decisions. Starting Tuesday, all six episodes of her new educational series, What do I eat? are available to stream on Max, the new streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery. Episode topics span topics such as fats, fruits, grains, vegetables and chocolate and feature Deschanel – along with a group of correspondents – traveling to local farms and speaking with experts to find the truth behind food myths and commonly held perceptions, such as whether buying organic is always necessary or if plant-based milk is healthier than cow’s milk.
“A lot of people get scared of things because they hear something is so bad,” says Deschanel The Hollywood Reporter. “I don’t want people to be afraid of eating. We want people to enjoy (eat) and be informed.”
The Max Original series is produced by ATTN:, the digital media company acquired last year by Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs’ Candle Media. ATTN: previously worked with Deschanel on The roots of your food, a food series on social media that served as inspiration for What am I eating? and has amassed over 16 million views for his most popular bread episode.
As a longer-form streaming series, What am I eating? leans toward the educational aspects of the show with infographic segments narrated by Deschanel, cooking segments, and on-location shooting at places like Bob’s Red Mill for an episode about grains and a Jelly Belly factory for an episode about fruit and juice concentrate.
“Our goal was to avoid being elitist at all costs. Some episodes even help people save money because we say, ‘Hey, you don’t actually have to buy this (type of product) organic – spoiler revealed,’ Matthew Segal, the co-founder of ATTN: and an executive producer for the show , tells THR. “This show has literally made me smarter at the grocery store, and I hope other people will be smarter at the grocery store — and Zooey is a great guide.”
In addition to streaming on Max, What am I eating? will be available to watch on the Linear Food Network channel, which operates under the Warner Bros. umbrella. Discovery falls. And while the show doesn’t skimp on sharing timely food information, Deschanel says the episodes remain fun and accessible so families of all ages can come together and enjoy the series.
“There’s something for everyone in here,” says Deschanel.
