0:00:02 > 0:00:05There's a lot we don't know about the food on our plates,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08and the shops and the labels don't always tell you the whole story.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Sometimes there's just too many offers,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12and when you actually really look at them,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14you're not really saving that much.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Whether you're staying in or going out,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20you've told us you can feel ripped off by the promises made
0:00:20 > 0:00:22for what you eat and what you pay for it.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26If you buy six, it's cheaper.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28But I don't want to buy six.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29I want to buy one.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34From claims that don't stack up, to the secrets behind the packaging,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food so that
0:00:37 > 0:00:41you can be sure you're getting what you expect at the right price.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Your food, your money.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55where today we want to make the pound in your pocket go further,
0:00:55 > 0:01:00and do everything we can to help make the weekly shop a breeze, rather than a battle.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01And, as we do that,
0:01:01 > 0:01:05we're going to be looking into what appear to be some pretty good offers
0:01:05 > 0:01:09on certain foods, but not all of them are necessarily quite the deal
0:01:09 > 0:01:10they appear to be.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13So, as we guide you towards sniffing out the best that your money can
0:01:13 > 0:01:16buy, we'll also have tips for those who've told us they have been left
0:01:16 > 0:01:19feeling rather short-changed, and none of us like that.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20And along the way, of course,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23we'll get answers to some of the questions that you've asked us to
0:01:23 > 0:01:24investigate on your behalf.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27Coming up...
0:01:27 > 0:01:29With pretty much all the big-name food stores offering
0:01:29 > 0:01:31a lunchtime meal deal,
0:01:31 > 0:01:35we'll see if you're always bagging the bargain you think you are.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Quite often when you go into the supermarket,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39perhaps it's your lunch break...
0:01:39 > 0:01:42- Yeah.- You're in a bit of pressure to get in there and get out,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44you don't always have time to sort of have a look
0:01:44 > 0:01:45and see what's best value.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50And with many of the supermarkets removing sweets and unhealthy snacks
0:01:50 > 0:01:54from the checkout, is what they put there instead really any better?
0:01:55 > 0:02:00That would be more or less an adult's requirements for sugar for the day.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02I'm quite shocked, actually,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05because it does only seem like a small portion.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14You know, these days our lives seem to be getting busier and busier, don't they?
0:02:14 > 0:02:16And the way we eat reflects that.
0:02:16 > 0:02:17Last month, for instance,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21a whopping 70% of us bought lunch to eat out and about.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26So many of us are choosing to munch on the move that the food-to-go market
0:02:26 > 0:02:31is now worth over £16 billion, and it shows no sign of stopping.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Shops and supermarkets are cashing in on this booming trade,
0:02:34 > 0:02:38and the so-called meal deal has become a high-street stable.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41But are these deals quite the bargain they appear?
0:02:41 > 0:02:44We've been comparing what's on offer to see whether they're true
0:02:44 > 0:02:48value for money, and which store's meal deal comes out best.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56The British love affair with the good old butty
0:02:56 > 0:02:58is believed to have started during the 18th century,
0:02:58 > 0:03:03when the Earl of Sandwich asked for meat between two slices of bread so
0:03:03 > 0:03:06as not to interrupt a game of cards, and gave his name to the result.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11At the time, eating without cutlery caused quite a stir.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15But today, the sandwich is the go-to lunch for many of us
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and, as a nation, we eat millions every week.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24But, do you know, these days, I reckon the Earl would want something a bit more than just a sandwich.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26He'd probably want a drink and a snack too.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29And that's where the idea of the meal deal comes from,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33because you get everything, all in, for one price.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38The meal deals that we see today were the brainchild of the high street store Boots.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Back in the year 2000, it launched its first offer
0:03:40 > 0:03:42that gave customers a saving
0:03:42 > 0:03:46if they bought a sandwich, snack and drink together.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Stephen Turnbull is the company's buying manager for nutrition.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Our customers were leading very busy lifestyles,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56and ultimately what we asked our customers was,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00"If we could provide a really accessible, affordable lunch, what would you want?"
0:04:00 > 0:04:05So we added a main, a snack, and a drink as a combination deal.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09From when we first launched to now,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11the competition has increased significantly,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14so more and more customers are now eating food on the go.
0:04:15 > 0:04:21Today, Boots claims its meal deal has over 40 million possible combinations.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24And in a shop that isn't first and foremost a food store,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28it can be a real money-spinner, drawing you into buying other products.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34We know that our customers come in to not only enjoy a really tasty,
0:04:34 > 0:04:39healthy lunch, but they might also then buy into different toiletry items, for example.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Today, the lunchtime meal deal can be found in almost every
0:04:45 > 0:04:48food outlet, from supermarkets to newsagents.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51All of them appearing to offer you a real saving.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Now, anything that saves you money is obviously a very good idea,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59and a meal deal sounds just the job,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01but in fact not all of them are equal to each other,
0:05:01 > 0:05:06and it could be that you're not getting the bargain that you thought you were.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08In September 2016,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12Sainsbury's changed the products you could choose in its £3 meal deal,
0:05:12 > 0:05:17withdrawing its premium Taste The Difference sandwich range from the offer.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21It did broaden the variety of sandwiches, and added new snacks,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25but the move didn't go down well with the store's loyal lunchtime buyers.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32Marketing expert Dr Gillian Hopkinson isn't surprised that here in the UK
0:05:32 > 0:05:35we take our meal deals so seriously.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39In Britain, we actually buy more of our food on deal or special offer
0:05:39 > 0:05:41than anywhere else in Europe.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Lunchtime for many people has become really very truncated,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47and there's not much time,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49so it's a real convenience offer for the shopper.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51From the store's point of view,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54by having it concentrated in one place they can get quite a lot of
0:05:54 > 0:05:58footfall through in that very critical, busy time over lunch.
0:05:58 > 0:06:04Well, one person who's totally into the meal deal idea is Juan Guerrero.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Meal deals are quite important to me.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10I work shifts, some of them are quite long, and if I go out,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12say when I'm on a ten-hour shift,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14and I'm buying food throughout the day,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16it can add up to quite a lot of money.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19So the fact that you can get a meal deal for around about £3 is very
0:06:19 > 0:06:22important to try and cut down on the everyday costs.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27But Juan finds the way that some of the supermarkets display the items confusing,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30to the extent that he sometimes mistakenly buys things that
0:06:30 > 0:06:35aren't in the meal deal, and ends up missing out on a potential bargain.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I do consider myself quite a savvy shopper.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39I do try and find the deals,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43and I can go into a supermarket and end up buying items that aren't
0:06:43 > 0:06:45included in the meal deal.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48I'm sure a lot of people will make the same mistake also.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52Well, to look more closely at what sort of saving Juan will get with
0:06:52 > 0:06:54the type of deal he'd typically choose,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56he's meeting up with Dr Hopkinson.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58So, we're here at Sainsbury's...
0:06:58 > 0:07:00- Yeah.- Shall we go in and get a meal deal?
0:07:01 > 0:07:06She's going to see if he picks the best possible deal for his £3.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08So, Juan, can you talk me through what you've got?
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Yeah. I opted for a salmon and cucumber sandwich...
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- Right.- For the snack, I went for a bag of corn chips,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and then for the drink I went for an orange juice.
0:07:18 > 0:07:19How was it when you were in there?
0:07:19 > 0:07:21You seemed just slightly confused.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23I did find it quite confusing, yes.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27In this particular supermarket... it was quite difficult to work out
0:07:27 > 0:07:30which items were part of the meal deal and which items weren't.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31But it wasn't obvious.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35The big question, however,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38is whether buying all of these items as part of the meal deal
0:07:38 > 0:07:41has ended up saving Juan any cash,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44or if he's just got swept along by the lure of an offer.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- So, shall we have a look at what you spent?- Certainly, yeah.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50So, £1.35 on the drink,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54£1.60 on the sandwich and 75p on the corn chips.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Well, if Juan had bought these items separately,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59he'd have paid £3.70.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03So, he did make a decent saving by opting for the £3 deal.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07So, you got a reduction there of 70p.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11But bigger savings were there for the taking if Juan had chosen
0:08:11 > 0:08:13more expensive products included in the deal.
0:08:13 > 0:08:19I did notice that you could actually have got a sandwich that was priced at £2,
0:08:19 > 0:08:24and you could've got a smoothie rather than your juice and that would have been another 40p extra.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26So, you could have saved about 80p more.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31- That's interesting. - So, I'm just wondering how you feel about the meal deal now.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Being somebody that likes a good bargain,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35I'd probably want to go back and choose again now,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37- now that you've told me. - Maximise on your money.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Yes, that's correct. Yeah, yeah.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42What's more, by heading straight for the meal deal,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Juan didn't spot some of the other offers that could have saved him more cash.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49The other thing that I noticed was, when we were in there,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52you actually only looked at the meal deals,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54and didn't look at any other products.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I noticed that you could've got five bananas for 90p,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01you could have got six bottles of water for £1.50.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Juan can spend up to £15 a week on meal deals,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10but if he'd planned ahead and bought the items Gillian found, he'd have
0:09:10 > 0:09:14had drinks and snacks for a week's worth of lunches for £2.10,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18leaving him with £12.90 to spend on sandwiches.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21And if he then chose a £1.60 sandwich everyday,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24he'd make a saving of £4.60 every week.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28But it seems he's rather blindsided by the convenience of his favourite deal.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Quite often when you go into the supermarket,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36perhaps it's your lunch break, you go in, want to buy your meal deal,
0:09:36 > 0:09:41you're kind of almost focused on the fact that you need a main, a snack, a drink.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45And you're in a bit of pressure to get in there and get out.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48You don't always have time to sort of have a look and see what's best value.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53So, the lunchtime meal deal seems to have found it's dream market -
0:09:53 > 0:09:56people who don't have time to shop around.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59But to help guide all of you shoppers on the go,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02we're keen to find the best value meal deal,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04the one that has the biggest savings.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07And to do it, we've enlisted some maths students.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11They're used to crunching numbers, so we're sending them shopping
0:10:11 > 0:10:14to see if they can work out the best bargains.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16I'm a bit of a meal deal connoisseur,
0:10:16 > 0:10:17so I'm confident I'll find the best deal.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20And later in the programme we'll see how they got on,
0:10:20 > 0:10:25and reveal which big-name store's meal deal got them the most filling for their shilling.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29I think I've definitely got quite a competitive one here,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and it should be good compared to the other stores.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Now, in recent years you may have noticed that the checkouts at some of the nation's supermarkets
0:10:39 > 0:10:42have undergone something of a transformation.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Where once the shelves alongside the tills were stuffed with
0:10:45 > 0:10:49chocolate bars and sweets, we're now just as likely to find nuts,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52dried fruits and all manner of other snacks
0:10:52 > 0:10:54that appear to be much more wholesome treats,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58but it seems that some of them may not really be that much healthier,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01particularly when it comes to their sugar content.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03So stand by for some jaw-dropping comparisons
0:11:03 > 0:11:05as we put all of that to the test.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Here in the UK we have a really sweet tooth.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Between us we spend around almost £0.5 billion a year on chocolate bars alone.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21And add all those to the rest of the tasty treats we eat,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25containing not just too much sugar but fat as well,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28and you understand why, according to the figures,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32two thirds of British adults are now obese or overweight,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35and one in three children leave primary school with a weight issue.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Now, at times it would seem that we're absolutely surrounded by
0:11:40 > 0:11:44temptation from the minute you go into a shop until you actually leave it,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and when the supermarkets decided that they would take away all
0:11:47 > 0:11:51the chocolate and sweets from the till and checkout and replace them
0:11:51 > 0:11:53with healthier options, well, I was thrilled.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56And I'm sure there was a collective sigh of relief from parents and
0:11:56 > 0:11:59grandparents all over the country who'd had to have
0:11:59 > 0:12:03that battle at the till when children wanted one of those treats.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07And this Bolton-based group of mums no doubt speak for many, as they
0:12:07 > 0:12:11relive how frustrating a family trip to the supermarket can be.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16I try to avoid taking the children shopping, but if I have to then,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18yeah, there's a lot of pestering.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21A lot of grabbing everything and putting it on the conveyor belt.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24And I also think at the checkout they tend to put it on the children's level.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Sort of eye level, buy level.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28So, they kind of do know what they're doing.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32The chocolates aren't that far away, so the children still notice those,
0:12:32 > 0:12:33you know, as an option.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Now, Tesco actually took the decision to ban sweets
0:12:39 > 0:12:43from the tills at its larger stores more than 20 years ago,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46but it took a while for other supermarkets to catch up.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50In 2014, Lidl carried out research into parents' reactions
0:12:50 > 0:12:54to till treats, and it found that, just like our Bolton mums,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58many shoppers found it hard to avoid unhealthy snacks when they were
0:12:58 > 0:13:00displayed at the tills.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03As a result, the chain removed sweets at all of its checkouts,
0:13:03 > 0:13:08and soon after Tesco changed the snacks at its smaller Metro stores as well.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13In recent years, various government initiatives have added to
0:13:13 > 0:13:18the pressure on brands and shops to help us eat more healthily.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21But even though many of the major supermarket chains have now
0:13:21 > 0:13:25committed to selling healthier options at the tills, our mums
0:13:25 > 0:13:29aren't convinced that every treat now displayed there is much better.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35I have noticed that they've started having a few they think
0:13:35 > 0:13:39are good snacks, but I think most of them are full of sugar.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43And there are others who feel exactly the same.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46One viewer e-mailed us to say that, in her view,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49the so-called healthy snacks replacing confectionery at the tills
0:13:49 > 0:13:52are sometimes so full of sugar and flavourings
0:13:52 > 0:13:55that they're even worse than chocolate bars.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00So, with that in mind, is what you'll now find typically at the checkouts really an improvement?
0:14:01 > 0:14:04I'm very keen to see the impact that those changes have made,
0:14:04 > 0:14:08and what we should be making of the treats we now find at the till.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Dimple Thakrar is a dietician, nutritionist, and mum-of-two.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18She's watched the supermarkets change their strategy with interest,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23but she too has the concerns about the new, apparently healthier offerings.
0:14:23 > 0:14:28There has been a definite shift from your unhealthy snacks, your cakes,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30your biscuits, your chocolates,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34over to what would be perceived as healthier options.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Different types of fruit and veg in different formats -
0:14:38 > 0:14:41dried, crushed, pressed.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46So, yes, there has been a shift in terms of market.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50However what's happened is they've over-processed fruit and vegetables
0:14:50 > 0:14:56so that the products they're producing are almost unrecognisable from the real source.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00By processing the food, it actually increases the calories.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Well, to see if that's true and find out exactly what
0:15:04 > 0:15:07some of these new snacks are made of, we've bought goodies
0:15:07 > 0:15:10from the till points of major UK retailers
0:15:10 > 0:15:13to create our very own healthy checkout,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16stocked entirely with things like dried fruits,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18oat bars and fruit and nuts.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20And it certainly looks very wholesome.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Next, we asked our parents to go wild in our aisle,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29to see which items they'd be happy to throw into their trolley
0:15:29 > 0:15:31if they were pestered for a last-minute treat.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Interesting. I think I've bought at least 50% of these at some point.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40- Yeah.- They're named to sound healthy, aren't they,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42some of them. "Oaty flapjack."
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Possibly this one, cos it's so bright.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49I think also the hand-sized packets look more appealing to kids,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52cos they can hold them in their hand, and less adulty.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56And I would buy the packet of Fruit Bowl flake things.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Anything that's kind of yoghurt coated, probably,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01thinking that it's healthy.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Well, let's see whether Dimple thinks our parents' picks
0:16:04 > 0:16:06are as healthy as they appear,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10starting with this packet of dried fruit flakes.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Right, great, so we've got some of your snack choices here
0:16:14 > 0:16:18in front of us, and I noticed quite a few of you picked this one.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22What do you think, guys? What do you think of the packaging for a start?
0:16:22 > 0:16:24- Bright colours.- Colourful.- Yeah.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- It's aimed at children, isn't it? - Yeah.- It would attract.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Bright, colourful, absolutely.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31- It looks like a packet of sweeties. - Yeah.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34'Well, obviously, it's not a packet of sweeties,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36'but it does still pack in a lot of sugar.'
0:16:37 > 0:16:42This is an 18g packet, so it's not a huge amount,
0:16:42 > 0:16:47and when you look at the back - sugars, 10g.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50So, over half of this is sugar.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56Now, of course, dried fruit usually has fibre and nutrients as sweets wouldn't,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00but even though the sugars here are entirely natural rather than added,
0:17:00 > 0:17:05this small packet has more sugar content than a similar sized pack of Haribos.
0:17:06 > 0:17:1010g of sugar is the equivalent to,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13depending on the age of your child, around about half
0:17:13 > 0:17:17of their sugar intake for the day in that little packet.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19But yet that,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23you would think, would be better than a packet of sweeties.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Well, the manufacture of these fruit flakes, a company called Fruit Bowl,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29was keen to point out that it is better, saying,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33although dried fruit may contain high concentrations of fructose,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37it provides other nutrients, rather than just hollow calories.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Next, let's see what Dimple makes of
0:17:42 > 0:17:44another snack some of our parents picked up.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47A tropical blend of dried fruit and coconut.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Looks really healthy, doesn't it?
0:17:50 > 0:17:53If you were to just have half of that,
0:17:53 > 0:17:58you would be getting around about 14.5g of sugar.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02And that's about half of an adult's requirements.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04But, of course, you wouldn't eat half, would you?
0:18:04 > 0:18:07You'd just continue to eat the whole pot.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11So, that would be more or less an adult's requirements
0:18:11 > 0:18:13for sugar for the day.
0:18:13 > 0:18:14I'm quite shocked actually,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18because it does only seem like a small portion.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21And actually even having half of it is still quite bad.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23And I don't think I'd be satisfied - if that was a snack for me,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25I'd want to eat it all, so...
0:18:25 > 0:18:28No, I won't be, I won't be having them.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29SHE LAUGHS
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Aldi, who make and sell at their checkouts the tropical blend mix,
0:18:33 > 0:18:38told us that dried fruit is a healthier alternative to confectionery,
0:18:38 > 0:18:43because it contains iron, calcium, antioxidants and dietary fibre,
0:18:43 > 0:18:44and counts towards your five a day.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50And there's no shortage of other dried fruit products containing
0:18:50 > 0:18:52more sugar than you'd imagine.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56At one checkout, for example, we found a pack of dried mango that,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00if you ate the whole thing, has the equivalent of 21 cubes of sugar.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Now, that's way more than the Government's recommended daily allowance.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Whether added or natural,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12the limit for a four to six-year-old is 19g of sugar.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15That's the equivalent of five sugar cubes.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20It's 24g, or the equivalent of six cubes, for seven to ten-year-olds.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24And for anyone aged 11 and over, the recommended limit is 30g,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26or roughly seven cubes,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29which is about what you would find in a Mars bar.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32So, that mango pack has three times as much.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37And according to dentists, eating too many
0:19:37 > 0:19:41of these natural sweet treats could end up contributing towards
0:19:41 > 0:19:45tooth decay and obesity in almost exactly the same way as the more
0:19:45 > 0:19:46traditional snacks they replaced.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52In England, it's estimated that removing decayed teeth
0:19:52 > 0:19:55in children under nine costs up to £40 million every year.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59And nearly a quarter of five-year-olds suffer from tooth decay.
0:20:00 > 0:20:06Dr Uchenna Okoye is the clinical director of her own dental practice.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11Very familiar with the damage that too much sugar of any description can cause children,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14she fears that parents trying to buy the right things
0:20:14 > 0:20:17may now unwittingly still be getting it wrong.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19In your mind, you think, well,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22as opposed to kids having sweets or chocolate, or cake,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25it's much better to give them raisins, give them fruit and so on,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29- so you think you're doing good by giving them those alternatives. - Yeah.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34The problem with the alternatives is that they're not in their natural state.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39So, give grapes, give apples, oranges, mangoes, whatever, fantastic.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42It works cos it's got enough water content in.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46But when it's dried, it's really concentrated sugar.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50Sugar's still sugar, and I think the key thing is trying to educate parents.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55And what are some of the worst cases you've seen of the children whom you've had to treat?
0:20:55 > 0:20:57This goes back to when I was a student,
0:20:57 > 0:21:02assisting extracting every single tooth from a seven-year-old.
0:21:02 > 0:21:08It was one of the most harrowing experiences, which in the 21st century is horrific,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11- cos you know that it's totally preventable.- Mmm.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14And even a few weeks ago, I had a mum, and she was
0:21:14 > 0:21:18practically in tears because her daughter needed five cavities.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21So, this is somebody who, I know she's passionate,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24she's doing all the right things, but she didn't know that
0:21:24 > 0:21:29eating raisins, and all those kinds of gooey stuff,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31it can still cause damage to your teeth.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33So, I think the key thing for parents is,
0:21:33 > 0:21:37stick to water and stick to the natural state of the fruit,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39and then you won't go wrong.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43We asked some of the big supermarket about their checkout offerings.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Lidl, Tesco,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Sainsbury's and M&S confirmed that they've removed confectionery from
0:21:49 > 0:21:53their tills as part of a commitment to helping customers lead healthier
0:21:53 > 0:21:56lifestyles, as well as to combat the demand from children,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58usually known as pester power.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Asda, however, told us it believes in customer choice,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06so it continues to offer some treats at the checkout.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09As for the type of products now found in most tills,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13those dried fruit and nut snacks, the supermarkets told us that
0:22:13 > 0:22:16these are clearly labelled to allow parents to make choices.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Back in Bolton, and school's out for our group of mums.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27But now that their eyes have been well and truly opened to the contents of those checkout treats,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31will they still be as sweet on picking them up the next time they're in the supermarket?
0:22:31 > 0:22:37As a mum, I do think that I'm going to be more aware of what I let her eat.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41I will just steer completely away from many of those snacks.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42I wouldn't even go there.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Still to come on Rip-Off Britain...
0:22:49 > 0:22:53After complaints that those who eat alone risk either paying more for
0:22:53 > 0:22:55their food or end up wasting it,
0:22:55 > 0:23:00we've advice to make your money and your meals go a lot further.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03- Let's unload the whole lot and then we can go through it.- We'll do that.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06I think the deals that some supermarkets do are really rotten.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Next, it's back to those meal deal offers.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18As we heard earlier, lunch on the go is as popular as ever,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22and many of us, like Rip-Off Britain viewer Juan Guerrero, are
0:23:22 > 0:23:25regularly drawn to the savings that a meal deal, typically a sandwich,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28snack and drink, appears to offer,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31even if we don't always maximise the possible savings.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35I did notice that you could actually have got a sandwich that was
0:23:35 > 0:23:39priced at £2, and you could have got a smoothie,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41and that would have been another 40p extra,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43so you could have saved 80p more.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48But it seems we're not all convinced that making a meal of it
0:23:48 > 0:23:50provides the value for money it once did.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Susan Vidler is from the market research company Harris Interactive,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58which has done some probing into exactly this subject especially for us.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03We've spoken to 1000 consumers over the last couple of days, and
0:24:03 > 0:24:07what we found is that people still believe that lunchtime meal deals
0:24:07 > 0:24:09are excellent value for money,
0:24:09 > 0:24:14but there is a concern that value for money is starting to deteriorate
0:24:14 > 0:24:16and that the choice is being restricted.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19And when you say value for money, meaning that the price is going up,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22or they're getting less for the same price?
0:24:22 > 0:24:25It could be both, depending on the individual consumer.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27And there's evidence to support that.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Do you think people are generally aware of what the items that
0:24:31 > 0:24:35comprise the meal deal would cost if they were bought separately?
0:24:35 > 0:24:36Not necessarily, no.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38And I think the...
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Some of the research we've done suggests that people are not always
0:24:41 > 0:24:45sure what's in the meal deal, and that can cause some frustration.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Well, we want to know just how easy it is to navigate the big store's
0:24:48 > 0:24:52meal deals, and which ones to head for for the best savings.
0:24:53 > 0:24:54So, to help work out the numbers,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57we've called in some of Manchester's biggest brains.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Six members of the university maths society.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03ALL: Morning, Miss.
0:25:03 > 0:25:04Good morning, class.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08You're here because you're all maths geniuses,
0:25:08 > 0:25:13and your task today is to go out and buy six different meal deals,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16bring them back here, and we're going to find out
0:25:16 > 0:25:19which of you has succeeded in getting the best value meal deal.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21That's your task.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22Class dismissed.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27The students will be visiting six of the top ten shops
0:25:27 > 0:25:30which sell the most sandwiches in the UK.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Tesco, Sainsbury's, Boots, M&S,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Morrisons, and the Co-op.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Between them, their meal deals offer tens of millions of combinations,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44but do our students have the nous to navigate the offers
0:25:44 > 0:25:45and find the best deal?
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Today, I'm feeling quite nervous ahead of the challenge.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Meal deal prices quite confuse me,
0:25:50 > 0:25:51so I'm looking forward to seeing how I get on.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54I'm feeling quite hungry, but I'm a bit of a meal deal connoisseur,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56so I'm confident I'll find the best deal.
0:25:56 > 0:25:57I'm feeling excited.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59I've got my best maths brain on,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01so I'm looking forward to getting started.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05The meal deals our students are tackling are slightly differently priced.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Morrisons, Tesco, and Sainsbury's offer theirs for £3.
0:26:10 > 0:26:15Boots and the Co-op are a bit more expensive at £3.39 and £3.30, respectively.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19And finally, M&S offers a deal for £4.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23But at each store will we find the best savings?
0:26:23 > 0:26:25First past the checkout is Omar,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28who's looked at the choices in Sainsbury's.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Yeah, so I feel like I've got a really, really good meal deal.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33The range of sandwich, I have to admit it was quite basic.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Um...
0:26:35 > 0:26:38We had just standard tuna, sweetcorn, chicken and sweetcorn.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41The shelves were a bit empty, so I did feel their range was
0:26:41 > 0:26:44a bit lacking, but there was a woman restocking at the time.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49And Humara's come out of Tesco looking very pleased with herself.
0:26:49 > 0:26:50I thought Tescos was quite cheap,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52but after looking at the individual prices of each item,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56I realised that it's actually so much cheaper to get a meal deal.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Once all six students are back in the classroom,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03it's time to see how they all got on.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04Well, this is where the fun starts.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09What we want you to do is to work out what you actually spent on your meal deals.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Secondly, what you would have spent if you'd bought
0:27:12 > 0:27:16all the ingredients separately, and then from that we're going
0:27:16 > 0:27:19to find out which of you got the best value meal deals.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20So, off you go.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26Rather them than me - crunching numbers is not my strong suit.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29But it's all in a day's work for these guys.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33So, with the sums complete, which store had the best deal?
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Well, on the day they were working out the prices,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38our students came up with very different results.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42The store with the smallest saving at that particular time was Sainsbury's,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46although with products worth £4.60 bought for the meal deal
0:27:46 > 0:27:50price of £3, we did still get a substantial £1.60 saving.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Next was Tesco,
0:27:55 > 0:28:00where products worth £5.64 were purchased for the combo price
0:28:00 > 0:28:02of £3 - a reduction of £2.64.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09At M&S, if the items had been bought individually,
0:28:09 > 0:28:14they'd have come to £6.80, but as a meal they were just £4,
0:28:14 > 0:28:15giving a saving of £2.80.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24The separate prices for this little lot from Boots tot up to £6.79,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26but the meal deal cost of £3.40
0:28:26 > 0:28:32gave a discount of £3.39, that slashed the price by almost half.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Second place in terms of savings,
0:28:34 > 0:28:39these goodies from the Co-op would have been £6.69 bought individually,
0:28:39 > 0:28:42but they cost £3.25 as a combo,
0:28:42 > 0:28:44reducing the price by £3.44.
0:28:47 > 0:28:48But on this occasion,
0:28:48 > 0:28:52it was Morrisons which came out best in our meal deal challenge -
0:28:52 > 0:28:57£6.71 worth of products were picked up for just £3,
0:28:57 > 0:29:01giving a hefty saving of £3.71.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Now, of course, this was simply a snapshot from the ranges on offer in
0:29:04 > 0:29:07a few stores on one particular day,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10but it does prove that if you do the arithmetic,
0:29:10 > 0:29:12these deals can offer genuine savings.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19Not surprisingly, that was a message enthusiastically emphasised by
0:29:19 > 0:29:23the stores themselves when we told them our results, and several,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25including Sainsbury's - which, remember,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29had been criticised for taking some premium items out of its offer -
0:29:29 > 0:29:33told us that they'd added new products to their meal deal range
0:29:33 > 0:29:35to increase the options available.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39So, it's clear that, for those on the go,
0:29:39 > 0:29:43meal deals are one offer that does stack up - provided, that is,
0:29:43 > 0:29:47you pay attention to the individual prices and don't mind doing a bit of
0:29:47 > 0:29:52mental arithmetic to be sure you really are bagging the best bargain.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Shopping for one can be a costly business.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Now, I've noticed that many of the deals that are being offered
0:30:04 > 0:30:07by leading supermarkets tend to be either multipacks
0:30:07 > 0:30:11or "buy one, get one free" deals, but if you live alone,
0:30:11 > 0:30:15buying in bulk can sometimes be a false economy,
0:30:15 > 0:30:16and certainly when it comes to fresh food,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19it can go off before you even get round to eating it.
0:30:19 > 0:30:25So, we're on a mission on behalf of anyone who may ever dine alone
0:30:25 > 0:30:29to see if it is possible to be a super-saving, savvy shopper for one.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36There are currently over seven million of us living alone - a sizeable market,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39you'd think, that retailers would be keen to keep onside.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42But several viewers, including David Mortimer from York,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45have been in touch to say they sometimes struggle
0:30:45 > 0:30:48with the supermarket's jumbo-sized deals.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51David enjoys the positives of flying solo -
0:30:51 > 0:30:55no fighting over the remote or arguing about who does the dishes,
0:30:55 > 0:30:57but when it comes to buying for one,
0:30:57 > 0:31:01he feels rather short-changed by what the supermarkets have on offer.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07When you're buying tins of peas, beans in the supermarkets,
0:31:07 > 0:31:11you get the big tins and the smaller tins.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14A smaller tin is OK for me, I don't want a big tin.
0:31:14 > 0:31:20But the smaller tins are nearly the same price as the bigger tins,
0:31:20 > 0:31:22and what I want to know is why?
0:31:22 > 0:31:24But cost isn't David's only concern.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27He worries about having food left over too.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32I like buying fruit and carrots and potatoes,
0:31:32 > 0:31:34but I find a lot of wastage.
0:31:34 > 0:31:39The trouble is, is after a couple of days, the carrots go off,
0:31:39 > 0:31:45put potatoes in plastic bags, they start to smell and go soft.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Supermarket deals for shopping for one,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51I just don't think that they are fair to the single people.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54It's just waste for me.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56David may live alone,
0:31:56 > 0:32:00but he's not alone in thinking that buying for one isn't easy,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03or that most deals seem aimed at bigger households.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08Price-wise, yes, they are unfair, cos, like I say,
0:32:08 > 0:32:12they deal for the family of four, not the single person, so my dad
0:32:12 > 0:32:16has to pay whatever the same as I would have to for a family.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20If you've got quite a few children, you're buying two-for-one,
0:32:20 > 0:32:25that's OK, but if there's only one of you, then no, it's a waste,
0:32:25 > 0:32:26because it would probably go off.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30The thing with supermarkets, they really aim for the family,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33so people think they're getting a good deal, and they're buying more
0:32:33 > 0:32:37food, but you can have food waste, then, if you are buying for one.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42But according to branding expert David Whittle,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46retailers are tuning into the needs of single diners,
0:32:46 > 0:32:48and he believes they'd be crazy not to.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54There is a huge market for meals for one,
0:32:54 > 0:32:57targeted at single people,
0:32:57 > 0:33:01and this is because of how we live our lives now.
0:33:01 > 0:33:02We are time-poor.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05If you go back sort of 10 and 20 years,
0:33:05 > 0:33:10when we used to have the traditional TV dinner, what we have now,
0:33:10 > 0:33:15ready meals have changed and have improved dramatically.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19What we're trying to do is not for you to sit on your lap with a tray,
0:33:19 > 0:33:24is almost create a gourmet experience at home
0:33:24 > 0:33:26without you having to do it,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29and that's the big change, so we all...
0:33:29 > 0:33:35Any negatives that were associated, perhaps round meals for one
0:33:35 > 0:33:39or the ready meal market have all but gone.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42And it's true - when we checked,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45there was indeed a fantastic range of meals for one
0:33:45 > 0:33:48on offer in every major supermarket.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52But pound-for-pound, you can pay a lot more when buying for one.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54At Tesco, for example,
0:33:54 > 0:33:58the shepherd's pie for one in the Finest range was £3.50,
0:33:58 > 0:34:01but the pack which serves two was £5,
0:34:01 > 0:34:04which works out £1 less per head.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Similarly, buying a single portion pack
0:34:07 > 0:34:10of Sainsbury's Classic cottage pie costs £2.40,
0:34:10 > 0:34:14while the same meal packaged for two was £3.90,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18so if you bought the larger pack, you'd save 45p per head.
0:34:18 > 0:34:24And at Asda, the Italian beef lasagne for one cost £2.17.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27If you went for the pack for two, that cost £3.
0:34:27 > 0:34:28You'd save 67p per portion.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Well, when we contacted the supermarkets Asda and Tesco,
0:34:35 > 0:34:39they didn't want to comment, but Sainsbury's told us
0:34:39 > 0:34:42it always looks to provide the best value and said
0:34:42 > 0:34:46that the cost of producing, packaging and transporting products
0:34:46 > 0:34:49that contain more than one serving is typically lower.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57But we were keen to help David and other viewers buying for one make
0:34:57 > 0:35:00their meals and their money stretch further,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03so we've drafted in Gilli Cliff, who runs a cookery school.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05WATER RUNS
0:35:05 > 0:35:07Beautiful cabbage!
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Well, I think the problem with cooking for one
0:35:09 > 0:35:13is that it's really boring, because you either cook a lot and then you
0:35:13 > 0:35:17eat the same thing day after day, or you just don't feel inspired.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23I think the deals that some supermarkets do are really rotten,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25because they're always at the front of the store,
0:35:25 > 0:35:27so you walk into a supermarket,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30and there you see something like, you know,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33"Buy a kilo of this or a kilo of that,"
0:35:33 > 0:35:37and you think, "Well, I don't want a kilo, I'll just go and buy a few."
0:35:37 > 0:35:41And you pay more for a few than you do if you bought the kilo bag.
0:35:41 > 0:35:42Very frustrating.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50So, David has brought his normal weekly shop around to Gilli's...
0:35:50 > 0:35:52- Hello, David!- Hello, Gilli. - DOG BARKS
0:35:52 > 0:35:55..to see if she can give him any ideas and tasty titbits.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59But first, Gilli wants to find out more about his shopping habits.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02So, how often do you shop?
0:36:02 > 0:36:06- I go twice a week, each time around about £30 or something like that, for each shop.- Oh...
0:36:06 > 0:36:09- 30 a week, yeah, so about £60 a week.- Yeah.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11- For one.- For one.- Yeah...
0:36:11 > 0:36:13It's, um, I mean, it's an average budget,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16you should be able to do really well for that.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21Well, let's see what's Gilli makes of what David will typically put in his shopping bag.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Let's unload the whole lot, and then we can go through.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25- We'll do that.- Some nice fish.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28- Old Cotswold Legbar eggs. Mmm.- Yeah.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Cabbage.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Two lots of mince, a bit of beef.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34A packet of carrots, some veg.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36A couple of tins of peas.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39- A good load of stuff.- That's it.
0:36:39 > 0:36:40And what did this come to?
0:36:40 > 0:36:43It come to £24.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45I think you got a jolly good deal here.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50Even so, Gilli can understand the frustrations David has
0:36:50 > 0:36:52with how much some of his shopping costs.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58Now then, there's a sticky story about the peas, isn't there?
0:36:58 > 0:37:02- There is.- Small tin of 145g.
0:37:02 > 0:37:08- Yeah.- So, that is less than half the size of this tin, which is 300g.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11So, that must cost less than half price.
0:37:11 > 0:37:12About 10p difference.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15- No! 10p difference between the small one?- Yeah.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18- That's daylight robbery.- It is.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20And not just with the peas.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Now, tell me about the beans.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24200g for the small tin.
0:37:24 > 0:37:25- Yeah.- And...
0:37:26 > 0:37:29..415, so less than half.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31- Yeah.- So, this was... - Same again, about 10p.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33No! Between a big one and a small one?
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Yeah.
0:37:35 > 0:37:41- It looks as though these shops aren't out to help the person shopping on their own.- That's right.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43I'm really amazed, I have to say,
0:37:43 > 0:37:48at how, as a single shopper, you are so disadvantaged.
0:37:48 > 0:37:49You really are, aren't you?
0:37:49 > 0:37:54You just have to work harder at cutting things down when you get them home.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56Up next is the mince,
0:37:56 > 0:37:58and Gilli's spotted another way that David loses out.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01You've been done here, haven't you?
0:38:01 > 0:38:02I've done, been done, yeah.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Well, you see, it says three for £10.
0:38:05 > 0:38:06Yeah.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09- Erm... But you... - I haven't got the storage at all.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11- You couldn't save yourself the money...- No.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14..so you've bought a big one and a small one.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16- Yeah.- Was that half the price of that?
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Cos it's half the weight.
0:38:18 > 0:38:19No, it wasn't.
0:38:19 > 0:38:24Now, this time, the difference in price between the larger and the smaller pack wasn't as much,
0:38:24 > 0:38:28but David is irritated that he can't really take advantage of the best value offers.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32But now Gilli has an idea of what is in David's shopping bag,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35she's got some little gems for him - and I don't mean lettuce.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41I find that if you buy drumsticks or thighs or thighs, chicken thighs,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43they're actually a much better value,
0:38:43 > 0:38:46and actually they've got much better flavour.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50So, it would be worth buying a pack, and if, say,
0:38:50 > 0:38:55you buy a big pack of chicken thighs, you could freeze some easily,
0:38:55 > 0:38:58or you could cook them all and then freeze it as a cooked portion.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02And Gilli says the key with David's veg is finding a way to store them
0:39:02 > 0:39:04that keeps them fresh the longest.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Now then, this veg...
0:39:06 > 0:39:11This bag, I'm just looking to see if it's got any holes in it,
0:39:11 > 0:39:13cos of course potatoes don't do well in polythene bags
0:39:13 > 0:39:15- if you store them. - No, I've noticed that.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18Yeah, well, what I do, actually I keep mine in the fridge,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20- I have to say... - I've thought about that.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24And I always either take them out of the bag, or else I make sure that
0:39:24 > 0:39:27I've got a great big hole in the bag so that the air circulates.
0:39:27 > 0:39:28Yeah.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31And the same with the carrots, cos that's quite a lot of carrots.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34- That is.- It's enough to make your hair curl, to be honest.
0:39:34 > 0:39:35So that's carrots and potatoes.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Now, this white cabbage,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40I find they last for a really long time, cabbages.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43- This is a very firm one.- Yeah.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Will you serve that raw or cooked?
0:39:45 > 0:39:48- Cooked.- You wouldn't make a coleslaw out of it?
0:39:48 > 0:39:49No, I've never made a coleslaw in my life.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51DAVID LAUGHS
0:39:51 > 0:39:52Do you like eating coleslaw?
0:39:52 > 0:39:56- Yes, I do, yes.- So, you could do that, you've got carrots as well.
0:39:56 > 0:39:57- Carrots, mix them up, yeah.- Yeah.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02I think food waste is a real problem.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Nobody likes throwing away food,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07but what do you do if you've got so much food and then it goes off?
0:40:07 > 0:40:10And storage is often a problem, cos if you live on your own,
0:40:10 > 0:40:12you probably live in a fairly small place,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14so you won't have a lot of storage.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18And if you haven't got a deep freeze, then where do you keep things?
0:40:18 > 0:40:21And even dry storage, you know, you just need a lot of room.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25To encourage him to think about using up his food in different ways,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Gilli shows David how to make a quick, easy meal
0:40:28 > 0:40:32designed to help anyone love their leftovers.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36- At the end of the week, I often have lots of bits and pieces left in the fridge.- Yeah.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39So, I was going to make a sort of Spanish omelette,
0:40:39 > 0:40:41or frittata-type thing.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44- Nice to have in front of the telly, actually.- Yeah.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48Gilli is using some leftover Spanish chorizo.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50Which I have to say, I love, you know, it's spicy.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51Yes, it is, it's very nice.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Bacon, cooked potatoes...
0:40:53 > 0:40:55SIZZLING
0:40:55 > 0:40:56It's just so easy.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59The cabbage and carrots, eggs,
0:40:59 > 0:41:02and finally she adds some cheese.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04That is a lovely smell, that is, it smells very nice.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07- Getting hungry now?- Yes! - THEY LAUGH
0:41:07 > 0:41:11So that really is an end-of-the-week...supper dish.
0:41:11 > 0:41:12That's not bad. Mmm.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14I'm going to try that this week.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16- Excellent.- Yes!- Excellent. - DAVID LAUGHS
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Do you know, this is absolutely fantastic, this is.
0:41:25 > 0:41:26Great, David!
0:41:26 > 0:41:28Can I take this home with me?
0:41:28 > 0:41:30- You certainly can! - THEY LAUGH
0:41:31 > 0:41:34By the time he leaves, David is armed with plenty of buying,
0:41:34 > 0:41:36storage and cooking tips -
0:41:36 > 0:41:40all aimed at making the lives of those living alone not only more
0:41:40 > 0:41:43affordable, but tastier too.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46That demo was absolutely great.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49I've never thought of doing anything like that.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52It's given me inspiration how to do things.
0:41:52 > 0:41:58Anything what you put in the fridge, you forget about, is...
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Just make a meal out of it - and stop wastage.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11If you feel short-changed by any of the products you buy,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13or you've got a story that you'd like us to investigate,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16then do get in touch via our Facebook page...
0:42:18 > 0:42:20our website...
0:42:22 > 0:42:24..or e-mail us at...
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Or if you'd rather send us a letter, then our address is...
0:42:40 > 0:42:43So that's the end of our trips around the shops today.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46We hope you've picked up some tips to make sure that you're always
0:42:46 > 0:42:49getting the best value for money for your household,
0:42:49 > 0:42:51whatever its size. And if you got some tips of your own,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54do please share on our Facebook page.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57And remember, as well, that our team is always keen to hear
0:42:57 > 0:43:00your experiences on all sorts of consumer topics,
0:43:00 > 0:43:04in particular our holiday series will be returning in the New Year,
0:43:04 > 0:43:07so we'd be especially keen to hear all about your travel stories
0:43:07 > 0:43:08so that we can make sure
0:43:08 > 0:43:11we're investigating the subjects that matter most to you.
0:43:11 > 0:43:12But in the meantime, well,
0:43:12 > 0:43:14I'm afraid that's where we have to leave you for today.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16Thanks, as ever, for your company,
0:43:16 > 0:43:18and wherever you're having your next meal,
0:43:18 > 0:43:22we certainly hope that you found the deal that really suited you.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24We'll see you again very soon, but for now,
0:43:24 > 0:43:26from all the team here at Rip-Off Britain, goodbye.
0:43:26 > 0:43:27- Goodbye.- Bye.