The Thomas family Eat Well for Less?

Ooh, Creme Eggs! Ooh, Maltesers! Ooh.

The "Ooh!" theory to shopping.

Gregg Wallace and greengrocer Chris Bavin

are back for their biggest challenge yet.

I like my food, but this is embarrassing.

That doesn't bother you, does it?

To help families slash their weekly food bills.

This family are spending an outrageous amount of money.

I'm getting quite emotional about that.

They're going undercover...

-Oh, no!

-I'm going to go and

do a top-up shop anyway, so...

You're already planning to do a top-up shop in the middle of a shop?

And taking over kitchens...

-I ain't having this.

-What is that?

-Where's my stuff?

..to find out where we can spend less...

-Just under six grand.

-Stupid money.

-And where, on the odd occasion

it might be worth spending a little more.

-That's the good stuff.

-Nice.

-Restaurant-standard.

-They'll be checking

out the country's most popular food and drink.

My co-presenter tries to get me to do this

after a long shoot day, actually.

ALL: GO!

And giving the great British public their say.

-That's delicious.

-No, that's not right.

They'll be conjuring up cut-price recipes...

Du-nuh!

-Anybody can make this dish.

-And it was less than £2.50.

But at the end of the day, will Gregg and Chris

prove that you really can eat well for less?

SHE GASPS

This is all about breaking habits and

-learning something new.

-No!

Let's get to work...

This week, we're with the Thomas family.

Budget-minded Adie and

-brand-mad Mandy...

-You get them. I'll get them.

-I'm not getting both.

-..are at loggerheads.

-The problem is, you don't agree with me.

-And then you don't

-agree with me.

-With four kids constantly snacking...

They eat so much rubbish out of that cupboard.

..and Mandy replacing the crisps daily.

"Can I have this, Mum?" "Yes."

-I do think I've ever said no.

-These two must

-work as a team...

-Whatever.

-Does that mean no?

-No, whatever.

I don't think Adie's

-very happy!

-..to potentially save

themselves thousands.

Do you want to save money?

-Oh, God, yes.

-I know a couple of blokes who can help you.

We're in Chelmsford, Essex, with

a family whose spending is out of control.

ALL: We're the Thomas family.

Adie and Mandy got married 18 months ago.

See how high you can kick it.

-Come on, Tristan, go and get it!

-Between them,

they've four children. Mandy's youngest,

six-year-old Tristan, then Poppy, who's 12, and Harry, 16.

Are you going to go and play football, Poppy?

-No.

-You don't want to?

-And Adie's son,

-Sonny, ten.

-Look at the boy go.

We met about two-and-a-half, three years ago and we married

quite quickly and we had a big wedding and it was beautiful.

-Expensive.

-Yes, it was quite expensive.

I've got champagne tastes and

lemonade income, basically. I want the

best of everything, probably like most people.

And Mandy's champagne taste is

causing a little friction between the

newlyweds, especially in the kitchen.

We do get on really well, we just argue about food.

-How much was that?

-£1.50.

-For one drink?

For one drink, yes. I think branded stuff is worth

the money, because it is branded and it's

probably the best of the best.

-But for Adie, it's all about value.

-Adie will buy this as a treat

for the children, which they don't drink,

so then I have to do a secret shop and buy this.

He'll buy Coca-Cola for 17p.

We don't need to be buying 17p...

-You do when you've got four kids and they drink a whole bottle of it a day.

-And it's been under the

-cupboard for three weeks when you bought it. It hadn't been touched.

-Because you keep buying

the other stuff that's three and a half quid a bottle!

They're drinking a bottle a day.

-Mum gets nice stuff.

-Adie likes to buy the cheap, horrible food.

Adrian would have bought these.

I think there's five packets of instant noodles

and they've been in the cupboard about

six months. But if I bought Super Noodles,

they would be gone within a few days.

Adie's wasting his money buying these,

because they don't get eaten.

So despite his good intentions, Adie's thriftiness doesn't seem

to be working and Mandy just keeps on replacing

his value items with brands the kids WILL eat.

My top-ups are daily, to the point

where I've actually made quite a

nice relationship with the guys in the shop now.

-Hi!

-Hello, you all right?

-The boys at school?

-Yeah.

I just say yes to everything.

"Can I have this, Mum?" "Yes." I don't think I've ever said no.

They eat so much rubbish out

of that cupboard, you fill it up with bags of

crisps and they're gone in a matter of days.

Getting through around 70 bags of crisps a week,

the kids often don't eat the healthy meals Adie cooks.

I do all the cooking in the house.

-And sometimes wash up.

-Sometimes.

Yeah. So this is a typical Thomas meal.

I can guarantee there will be waste.

-Where's my fish?

-There will be moaning.

-Ugh. I hate that.

You've never tried it, Tristan.

There will be leftovers.

A plasterer by day,

Adie also runs a boxing gym after work, so he's not

always on hand to make the family meal.

When Adie's not here, Mum does the cooking and she

usually makes "Ping" meals, which is a

-microwave meal.

-Mandy relies on expensive convenience food

to provide different meals

for each child, except for Harry, who prefers to eat out.

-The microwave is my friend,

-because...

-You can't cook.

-No, I CAN cook,

and I used to cook every night before I met Adie,

but because Adie cooks every night, I've kind

of really lost my confidence in cooking.

Mandy's loss of kitchen confidence is surprising

for someone who spends her days cooking,

-albeit in a burger van.

-Bacon, sausage AND egg, did you say?

Mandy and Adie really need help ironing

out their differences.

I think we're going to run

-out of money soon, if it doesn't change.

-Yeah, or

hair, one or the other.

Gregg and Chris need to

work fast in order to solve this one.

-Mate, this looks nice.

-It does, doesn't it.

We generally argue when we go round the supermarket.

We really are total polar opposites.

Mandy and Adie have arrived for

their weekly shop. This could be interesting.

-We need to get some bananas.

-Right.

The boys are disappearing to the back of the store to get

a closer look at the Thomas weekly shop in action.

Let's have a look at this, shall we?

Let's get to work.

What about vegetables for Sunday?

That's not a bad start at all.

-Straight into the fresh fruit and veg.

-So far, so good, guys.

-Shall I get frozen ones?

-I don't want frozen.

Can't we just have carrots? Broccoli.

Fresh broccoli and then you can have frozen carrots.

-It's just quicker to get frozen, though.

-Please? Thank you.

Who's running this shopping?

I don't know, it's difficult to tell, isn't it?

-I want some butter.

-There's two lots

-of butter in the fridge.

-You sure?

-Yeah, positive.

-You're in charge of meat.

-Get a chicken.

OK, Adie's in charge of meat. I think

Adie is in charge of cooking, full stop, isn't he?

What about your Mexican stuff?

Get some jalapenos and I'll do pork wraps one night.

Oh, I need some sausage rolls.

I need some ping meals.

-Is that all right?

-Yeah, whatever.

-Whatever?

-Whatever.

-Does that mean no?

-No, whatever.

-We've kind of gone from an Adie shop,

of natural ingredients, to a Mandy shop of convenience.

-Ham.

-Yeah, get the nice ham...

-No.

"Get the nice ham." "No!"

I ain't paying £1.20 for

them when you can get the same ones for

half price underneath, look.

They're not very nice.

You're not going to get the 20p ones?

Why would you want 20p noodles?

Adie's definitely the

guy holding the purse strings, isn't he?

I think he's watching the purse strings, I don't

know whether he's holding them.

-That's two quid a bottle.

-They won't drink that stuff

-you buy.

-Because you keep buying that stuff!

Who of them two is putting the brands in

-the basket?

-Well, only one person, and it

rhymes with Andy.

LAUGHTER

She's not even looking around, she's going straight for that brand that she

-either favours or recognises.

-Mate, we all do that, so many people do that.

They'll do, look.

They don't like them ones. They like Monster Munch

and Wotsits. You get them, and I'll get them.

There was a fair few crisps going in that

-trolley, wasn't there?

-I wonder how long it would last them though?

-Well...

Get loads of them,

so they can have them whenever they want.

No! Don't be so tight.

Oh, are you going to drink cheap beer? Get value beer?

Ooh! Below the belt that was, wasn't it?

I don't think Adie's very happy.

-Right, frozen stuff first?

-Frozen first.

After an hour, Mandy and Adie have made it to the checkout.

But heading straight for them, is a

rather suspicious-looking trolley.

-Oh, dear!

-We've been watching you, son!

'Ello, 'ello!

-Adie.

-Hello.

-Hello, darling,

-How are you?

-Nice to see you.

-Thank you.

I don't think it's the most harmonious shop I've

ever seen. You've got very different shopping styles, haven't you?

We are yin and yang.

-I love branded.

-Eddie pays for it, so he likes budget.

Right, OK.

Time to tot up the total of the Thomas's trolley

for this shop.

Adie, who's in charge the shopping?

-Probably me.

-I like to think I am.

Me! I tend to get my own way.

-Right.

-I do all the cooking, so I must be.

That went as well as that shop, didn't it?

You've got a lot of fresh products and then

you've got a lot of convenience products.

It's hard to actually look at this and imagine

it's from one shop. It's as if it's been done by

-two separate shoppers.

-It's definitely done by

two separate shoppers.

We are quite different, aren't we?

And that's why you love each other...

-Yes, it is!

-Do you normally come

-shopping together?

-Yes, he doesn't like me coming

on my own, because it's a disaster.

Because we just end up with Pot Noodles and crisps.

I do like to keep the snack cupboard full.

So, how much do you think you've just spent?

-Me?

-80? 90?

That is just short of £120.

-Oh.

-Wow.

Do you know what I think

one of the problems is? That the pair of you

are undecided on what your shopping should be.

The problem is, you don't agree with me.

And then you don't agree with me.

For a family of six,

£120 doesn't seem too bad.

-Shall we get this home and have a closer look?

-Oh, God, yeah.

-Come on, then.

-Provided this is

-their only shop, of course.

-I'll push it,

because you look a bit out of shape, son.

SHE LAUGHS

These two are complete extremes,

Mandy preferring expensive brands and Adie wanting

the cheapest value items.

But they really need to find a middle ground, in order to start saving.

We've got four children between us,

and this year is a big year for them. Because we are

going on our first family holiday abroad.

Harry's 16, he's only been on a plane once,

when he was tiny. Tristan's never been on

a plane, so it's a massive thing for them.

With just five months to go before their special family holiday,

Gregg and Chris need them to see

the true extent of their shopping divide.

I think this is a tale of two trolleys.

This is what Adie picks and this is what I pick.

Do you think you would be able to notice if we swapped

-some of the brands?

-I would like to think so, yes.

-Really?

-Yes.

-Would you like to know how

-much your average main weekly shop is?

-Yes.

It's just a smidgen over £82 a week.

That's 20 quid under the average for a family this size.

Maybe Adie's thriftiness is paying off after all?

How often do you think you go and top up this shop?

-Five times a week.

-Twice a day, sometimes, I reckon.

-No, I don't!

-You sometimes go before

-school and after school. For cartons.

-Maybe.

Well, these are some of your top-up receipts.

-Oh, my God.

-You're actually topping up,

on average, 12 times a week.

No.

You're spending an extra £92 a week in top-up.

I'm spending more on my top-ups than I am on my weekly shop?

Ah, so Mandy's undoing all

-Adie's good work.

-And that's not the whole story.

-Oh, no.

-There is more.

-Harry doesn't eat at home, does he?

-He's 16, he's out and about

and he sometimes comes home and says,

"Mum, we're all going to the kebab van," or,

"Mum, we're going to the chip shop, can I have a fiver?"

And when you say sometimes, you mean every day?

-Mm-hm.

-And then you're giving him

20 quid at the weekend, aren't you?

Yeah, because he goes out longer at the weekends.

That's an extra £45 a week, bringing your total,

with the occasional takeaway thrown in,

your total weekly spend on food is over £230.

-That's disgusting.

-It is over £12,000 a year.

That's... I feel really bad,

and I am a really soft.

Give her a hug before I do.

I just adore my children, like any parent,

and it's not good that Harry eats out a lot and I'd

love for him to eat here, but I just think,

-you know...

-We're not saying this to make you

-feel bad.

-No.

-You know, we don't want you to feel bad.

-It just makes you realise.

You don't realise until you get the figures and how

many receipts you've just shown me on how

-much crap I've bought...

-You want to save money?

-Oh, God, yeah.

-You want to stop doing this?

-Uh-hm.

-Well, I know a couple of blokes who can help you.

-Good.

-Up for it?

- Up for it. - Yeah?

-You up for it?

-Yeah. Definitely.

-Brilliant, cool.

-Thank you.

-Let's crack on, shall we?

-We need to make a plan.

This certainly is a challenge. Breaking the

Thomas's bad habits isn't going to be easy.

I think we've got our work cut out here,

I really do. This snacking is causing major, major problems,

because it means the food bill's

right up there, it means the children aren't,

really, eating the stuff they should be eating...

No, you're right.

12 top-ups on average a week for Mandy.

-That's out of control.

-This is the danger

of the top-up shop. Everybody does it.

You pop in to go and get a pint of milk, you end

up spending another 20-30 quid, and if

you're doing that every day or every other day,

-that soon adds up.

-I don't think it's necessary

for Harry to eat out every single night, do you?

We need to find a way to get the family

all eating the same meal. That will offer

-great savings.

-So, come on, cards on the table.

What do you think you can save them?

I reckon easily 50. You know, that's over £200 a month.

I think we might even be able to do better than that.

-I think we can get £70 a week.

-And the loser

-buys dinner?

-Yeah.

-Where?

-Well...

-Where I eat,

-or where you eat?

-Oh, maybe somewhere in the middle!

LAUGHTER

Whilst the Thomases are out, we've made a view

changes to their kitchen - replacing the

-contents of their cupboards.

-Ooh! My God.

-All taped up!

-Some of their favourite brands

have been switched for cheaper alternatives.

Diet Coke with that label on?

And some haven't. But will the family be able to work out

their preferred brands from our swaps?

I don't think that's the same.

We've left a note

for the family with a few instructions.

"Mandy, we want you to cook for the family this week."

"Adie, we want you to let her."

And, "Kids, please try to

"eat your meals and not snacks.

"Good luck, Gregg and Chris."

Keen to find out what is on Mandy's menu,

they are rummaging for clues in the fridge.

Oh!

-What's this?

-Ham?

-Turkey mince.

Oh, God, what am I going to be cooking?

Mandy's just realised

there's no microwave meals.

I was slightly concerned that there wasn't... No ping meals in

the fridge. But it's going to be a good thing

for me, because I'm actually going to have

to get off my butt and make fresh food.

-We've got cabbage.

-What is this?

-What is that?

-And even Adie is in for a surprise.

-What is that?

SHE LAUGHS

That's hilarious.

I ain't having this. If they've swapped my beer...

I think you'll definitely know with the beer.

-..there's going to be trouble.

-Oh, dear.

That's got to last you a week, that lot.

I think the kids are going to struggle with the snacking.

But I reckon within a couple of days, if they see them

going down and not topped up again...

I think they might panic.

-One packet each, per day.

-Oh, my God.

LAUGHTER

The Thomas food swap is underway...

See you later.

..and Adie's kitchen ban has begun.

Come on, kids. Ready for school, Harry, Poppy.

Mandy is making her first coffee of the day,

usually an expensive premium brand.

I can actually taste, I think,

-that may have been swapped.

-She's right.

However, this coffee is a whopping £3.41 cheaper

and represents an annual saving of £177.

It's not terrible.

Usually, the kids enjoy a cup of tea

and biscuits for breakfast, but not today.

Today it's egg muffins, cooked Mandy-style in

her microwave.

Egg muffins are not only

more nutritious than biscuits, but cheaper too.

All it involves is melting a tiny bit of

butter in a mug, mixing in an egg, drop of milk

and cheese and microwaving for just one minute.

Here goes.

-MICROWAVE BEEPS

-Oh!

And hey presto, breakfast is served.

I feel better that you're eating something.

You just have a cup of tea sometimes, Harry.

Is it nice?

Costing just 26p per egg muffin,

this is one ping meal that is quick, cheap and

a healthy way to start the day.

It took me literally

two minutes to make it. They all ate it.

I think this is definitely going to be done again

for breakfast in the mornings.

It's actually lovely.

Mandy's learning the microwave isn't just for heating up ready meals,

it can actually cook things.

So Greg and Chris have come to see if dietician Hala El-Shafie

has any more suggestions for a good-value, healthy meal

you can make in your microwave.

Have you got a healthy ping meal for Mandy and less than £3?

Well, I've definitely got a healthy ping meal.

However, it's gone over the £3 - by a penny.

-£3 and a penny?

-Yeah.

What is it?

Pollock en papillote.

A fish Pollock in a paper bag?

First off, Hala gets the boys to slice some sweet potatoes very thinly

to ensure they cook in the parcels.

-Do you want to knock one up Chris?

-Yeah, why not?

-Do you want to have a go?

-Yeah.

Oh, brilliant, thank you.

This dish doesn't need to be neat and tidy.

You just lay some fresh and frozen veg on a piece of baking paper

and top with a filet of frozen fish.

The great thing about this, apart from the sweet potatoes and the leeks,

everything else is frozen, so there's almost zero waste.

Absolutely.

Hala drizzles on a little olive oil

and chives for flavour.

-Look how pretty that looks.

-Does look great doesn't?

-Yeah.

Then I'm going to season it.

Salt, pepper.

Now it's time to get wrapping.

En papillote in the oven, but I've never seen it done in the microwave or from frozen.

Now, you're a clever lady. If that comes out lovely,

I'm going to be really impressed.

You'll find out soon Gregg, as two parcels take only ten minutes in the microwave -

enough time to make two more to keep in the freezer

for another day.

The trick is to work fast before the fish defrosts.

A few minutes later, the cooked pollock en papillote are ready.

-There you go, Chris.

-Thank you very much.

There you go, Gregg.

This is a one-stop shop where nutrition is concerned,

because you've got all the food groups in here.

Super rich in vitamins and minerals

and packed with fibre and fantastic for the kids.

There's nothing more exciting than literally opening their parcels

and having this surprise.

The moisture from the frozen fish and veg stops the parcels drying out

and steams the sweet potatoes.

Clever, eh?

So, boys, what's the verdict?

The fish is cooked.

That's incredible flavour.

Mate, I'll tell you what,

that is a job well done.

And all this for just 75p a portion.

I think this is your biggest triumph so far.

That makes me very happy.

Back in Chelmsford, with Adie still out of the way,

Mandy's re-gaining a little kitchen confidence.

Dinner tonight is oven chips and fish fingers.

Then I'm going to do a bowl of beans and a bowl of salad.

In the past, Adie's tried to get Mandy and the kids to buy

and eat value brands.

I really don't think there's much difference between these global brands

and what the supermarkets are producing. It's the same stuff in a different packet.

Adie's never been supported in his kitchen views, however.

And I don't think it's really giving anyone a very good life lesson,

that they can just have whatever they want whenever they want it.

Turn their noses up at something and have something else.

I don't, you can't really do that in life. Life's not that easy, is it?

This week, there's no choice.

Greg and Chris have de-branded everything, including the baked beans.

The beans are a winner.

Yes, they're lovely.

And as they get through three tins of beans a week,

swapping to these own-brand could save £50 a year.

Orange? Sonny, Tristan? Good boy.

The kids usually get through 20 premium juice pouches a week.

That drink, is it a thumbs up or thumbs down? Go.

All right.

Our swap to a supermarket brand offers an annual saving of £100

and there's 95% less sugar per pouch.

I would actually say these yoghurts are the best yoghurts I've ever had.

-Ever. And I really mean that.

-Mm, they're really nice.

Saving 50p a pack, our yoghurts contain nearly 30% less sugar

than their favourite big brands.

But some of the swaps aren't so popular.

First, the ketchup.

-You don't like it?

-It's too sweet.

And our swapped wine, around half the price of Mandy's usual tipple,

doesn't look much of a keeper either.

Don't think I like it very much.

Pizzas are one meal all the family do eat and Mandy and Adie

usually buy frozen ones once a week.

They actually look very much like the pizzas that I would buy.

Mandy likes expensive brands, remember?

And Adie prefers to buy value brands,

so which will be kids think these are?

I think this is supposed to be a really expensive pizza.

-You think it is?

-Yes.

So, you'd have it again?

-Definitely Poppy?

-Yeah.

-Tristan?

-Yeah, it's really nice.

Tastes a bit burnt.

It probably is burnt, cos I cooked it.

Despite Mandy's cooking, the pizzas are a success.

I think it's actually the one I buy.

'Fraid not Mandy. These are Adie-style, supermarket own-brands

and offer a potential saving of nearly £6 a week.

That's over £300 a year.

And to wash it all down,

a firm family favourite -

a glass of diet cola.

I don't think it smells the same.

Sonny looks like he's enjoying it.

The Thomases get through at least two bottles of diet cola a week

and the kids will only drink a premium brand.

This one, in fact.

We haven't swapped it,

but will the family realise they're drinking their usual cola?

Urgh, I don't like that.

Don't think that tastes right. Really sweet and horrible.

Are you sure about that, Poppy?

It's not nice.

It's not as nice as the one I buy.

Except it is the one you usually buy, Mandy.

-Would you drink that again?

-No.

-Yes?

-Never, ever.

-No?

-No.

With over six million litres of fizzy drinks bought annually in the UK,

nearly half are low or no calorie.

And with so many diet colas on offer, which one hits the top spot

on the taste table?

We've come to Cardiff, where a team of basketball players

are putting five diet colas through their paces.

If I could pick my premium brand out of other brands

because I drink a lot of it,

so I'm used to the taste.

I have tried a few supermarket sort of own-brand labels,

but, if I'm being totally honest,

I always prefer the taste of the premium brand.

The low calorie colas to be sampled are...

Premium brand Diet Pepsi at 99p per litre.

Tesco's diet cola at 28p.

Waitrose Essential diet cola at 45p.

Lidl's Freeway diet cola at just 21p.

And, finally, brand leader Diet Coke,

the most expensive at £1.11 a litre.

But will they score or be classed as a foul by our basketballers?

First up, the market leader.

I don't like the initial taste.

It tastes really artificial.

This could be a supermarket own-brand, maybe.

Next, it's the budget offering.

Does taste a bit like diet Pepsi.

I would say probably expensive supermarket.

Probably a decent supermarket brand.

This one is the market's second most popular brand.

-Yeah, I would definitely say that's premium.

-That's actually decent.

-That's really nice.

Nice and sweet.

So, which diet cola has hit the spot?

And the winner is...

Diet Pepsi.

There we go!

Diet Pepsi won this game,

but in joint second were two supermarket own-brands,

Lidl and Waitrose.

Third was Diet Coke,

the priciest of those tested.

Our cola connoisseurs chose Diet Pepsi as their number one,

with two own-brand diet colas coming joint second.

It seems it's definitely worth shopping around.

I'm surprised I liked the cheaper supermarket own-brand

nearly as much as the premium.

Erm, I would definitely buy the cheaper brand or a supermarket brand, now I've done the test.

I'm on my way to Lidl's on the way home!

One, two, three, go!

The more time Mandy's spending in her kitchen,

the more she's enjoying it,

but she now needs to start building on the basics.

And where better to begin than at her burger van,

where she usually cooks frozen, pre-prepared burgers?

Today, Greg's hoping she'll make them from scratch.

Somewhere along the line,

Mandy's confidence in the kitchen has slipped,

so I want to do some easy recipes with her,

so that she can do meals for her kids.

-You cook all day here for other people...

-Yeah.

..but you don't cook when you get home.

Er, I suppose I've got lazy because Adie does it every night.

If I am in the kitchen, which is very rare,

he just interferes and I feel that I'm rubbish.

So I don't bother any more.

So, aprons on. Time to make pork burgers.

When buying any mince, always watch out for the fat content

and try to buy the leanest available.

An egg goes in to help bind the mince with salt,

pepper and breadcrumbs.

-That enough?

-A few more.

That's enough for the moment, because we can always add more.

Gregg's adding sage for extra flavour.

I use dried herbs because they don't go off.

For natural sweetness, Mandy's adding in some apple,

and then spring onions,

which are easier to chop than regular ones.

Especially when shown how by a pro.

You hold the knife like that, and you literally go like that.

-Like that?

-Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold that. You're just resting it.

-There we go.

-OK.

-Three fingers, please. There you go.

-Brilliant.

-Aren't I good?

-You are very good.

You need to be fully hands-on to make the perfect burger patty.

Your one looks better than mine.

Well, I'm a professional burger maker.

All mince should be properly cooked through,

so when the burgers are brown on the outside, test one.

Cook one more than you need, then you just break it up

-and make sure it's cooked all the way through.

-OK.

-Yeah.

-Good?

-Beautiful.

Costing just 73p each to make, these home-made burgers will make

a great family-friendly replacement for the ping meals.

But, for now, they're being put to their first test - Mandy's regulars.

-Hungry?

-Yes, very.

-Do you want to try Mandy's healthy pork burgers?

Yes, lovely.

-Mayo, ketchup?

-Mayo, please.

-Mayo?

-Sir...?

-Hold on.

-This customer looks a little familiar.

-Ha-ha!

-Thank you very much.

-It's got a bit colder.

-Oh, has it? Lovely.

-How's it been this morning, any good?

-Really good fun.

-Really good fun.

-Yeah, definitely. I've smashed it.

-Have you?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Is that all right?

That's lovely.

-That's delicious, yeah.

-Good.

-Really good.

Gone down well with the customers? Yeah?

-Look like they're enjoying them.

-They do, don't they? Happy days.

I'm hoping that Mandy's going to regain her cooking confidence,

cos she managed to cook for a gang of people today.

She's only got to feed four kids at home.

Pork and apple burgers are the way forward. They were yum.

And, yeah, the children are going to love them.

And I'm going to feel a better mum knowing that they've eaten something

healthy rather than ping meals.

-Well done, Mandy.

-Thank you.

With their new-found cooking confidence,

tonight, Mandy's producing a home-cooked meal for Adie.

When he's not interrupting.

Mm, lovely.

What have you done to my wife?

-This feels all right, doesn't it?

-Oi!

Nose out, Adie!

-Bit of lemon in there...

-No, Adie.

You've been here two seconds and telling me what to do!

This is my point.

Argh!

She's made one of Adie's favourites -

chilli with home-made salsa and guacamole.

Mandy's used turkey mince, which is cheaper and leaner than beef,

and added some healthy chickpeas, too.

Very proud that I'm in the kitchen and I've done my husband a meal.

Usually, the couple spend over a tenner

on a taco kit and premade sauces.

This home-made version isn't just better for them,

but saves at least £2 a time.

That's over £50 a year.

It's really, really good!

It is really, really good. That is good, that salsa.

-You didn't chop them tomatoes?

-I didn't chop? I can chop a tomato!

I've had a lesson from Gregg Wallace, how to chop, thank you.

Clearly!

BOTH: Cheers.

The swaps continue, as do Mandy's new uses for her beloved microwave.

This time, it's healthier bacon butties for Harry and Poppy,

cooked in just five minutes.

Normally, when I buy bacon,, I go for the higher-end bacon.

I don't think this is our usual bacon cos it's quite thin.

But it does look and smells lovely.

Mandy's right.

We have swapped her usual bacon.

It's a little thinner, but also has over a third less fat.

Ta-da! Oh, It's crispy!

That is a really cool way of doing it in the microwave.

Microwaving bacon is quicker and healthier than frying.

And, at 71p cheaper a pack,

Mandy's looking at saving nearly 40 quid a year.

To do that bacon without getting any frying pans out

or any grill pans is amazing.

It just took one plate. And it was so quick and easy.

-What's the bacon like?

-Really nice.

-Is it?

-Mm.

In our supermarkets, bacon ranges massively in price.

As a nation, we love our bacon.

We get through 200,000 tonnes of the stuff every year.

So, why is there such a difference, and is it worth paying more?

Chris has come to a major pork manufacturer to find out.

-Hello, Steve.

-Hi, Chris.

-Nice to meet you.

Obviously, bacon is pork, but what makes it bacon?

Bacon, in its basic form, is cured pork.

So, we use a curing process on two specific cuts of meat.

If we think of the pig itself, we remove the shoulder -

the front legs, if you like -

we remove the leg, we're left with that middle bit of the pig.

We take the belly, the bottom half, and that comes streaky bacon,

or we take over the top, and that becomes the back bacon.

Curing is a way of preserving meat,

essentially using salt to draw water out of it,

making it hard for bacteria to grow and the meat to go off.

Pork has to be cured to turn it into bacon.

Most of the bacon sold is wet cured,

also known as brine cured, where a solution of salt and nitrates -

chemicals that help preserve the meat -

is injected directly into the pork.

How many needles are in there?

There would be around 30-35 needles in there at the moment.

-That must be a fair size, mustn't it?

-They are quite long.

I've got one just here.

And there's a sequence of small holes right at the tip.

The brine will come in through the top and then, under pressure,

as that needle comes down to the centre, the brine is released,

and literally pumped inside the muscles.

So, you wouldn't fancy having

your blood test taken with that, would you?

-It would be a little painful, Chris!

-CHRIS CHUCKLES

So this is all about time.

This is all about speed,

efficiency and getting the lowest possible cost.

This process means 40-80 tonnes of pork can be injected every day,

making brine cured bacon the cheapest on the shelf.

But if you want bacon that's been cured

a little more traditionally, dry cured bacon could be for you.

So the salt solution you're putting on there,

is that the same as you would use in the brine curing?

Yes, in a different quantity,

but, in its nature, exactly the same.

This time, instead of using water,

what we're going to do is allow those salts and nitrates to

naturally migrate through the meat over time.

It's obviously more labour-intensive.

The process takes a lot longer,

so this is why dry cured bacon has a higher price point.

Absolutely.

The exact amount of solution to be used

depends on the weight of the meat.

And must cover the meat evenly. No pressure, Chris!

Whoa!

-And give it a real good rub.

-Right, OK.

What we do is get most of it into all the nooks and crannies

right over the whole piece of meat.

My co-presenter tries to get me to do this

after a long shoot day, actually!

Government guidelines advise you to eat

no more than 70g of red and processed meat a day.

That's the equivalent of three rashers of bacon.

So, the Sunday morning bacon sarnie looks safe.

With dry cured bacon costing on average, on average,

nearly 40% more than wet or brine cured,

Chris wants to compare the two in taste.

-The brine cured, here, first of all.

-Yeah.

OK, yeah, good, meaty texture.

I'm happy with that.

But how does this compare to the hand-rubbed

and more expensive dry cured bacon?

Wow! That's a much meatier flavour. And texture, actually.

Same ingredients, same cut of meat, that difference in process

really starts to bring through an overall different experience.

Yeah, I really like that.

Chris clearly enjoyed the more expensive dry cured rasher,

so, if something does tickle your taste buds,

it can be worth paying a little bit more.

Back in Chelmsford, whilst Mandy's enjoying being queen of the kitchen,

Adie's been able to spend a little extra time in the gym.

This week has been a real hard week for me at work.

I'm not getting home some nights till well after dinner time.

And I've got to come and run this place, too.

So, Mandy this week, having taken on the kitchen duties,

has really helped me out. Some of the stuff she's cooked this week

has been awesome, real, good stuff, you know? And healthier stuff

for the kids, too. Much, much better. Good stuff.

Seems like the Thomases

have turned a corner. Tonight, Mandy's tackling

a family roast.

Oh, that's a nice, big chicken.

The family regularly buy a whole

chicken but throw away any leftover meat.

So they also buy fresh and frozen chicken breasts

-for the week.

-And put it in the oven.

Done. As easy as that.

If they just bought one

chicken and used all the meat from it, they could

save an impressive 416 a year.

I'm pleased. I just hope the children enjoy it.

When it comes to gravy, Mandy's a stickler for her pricey,

premium brand. So will she like the one we've given her?

It looks quite similar to the one I would buy.

-It smells lovely.

-It's not Mandy's

usual gravy. But it is over a quid cheaper per pot.

OK, right. Harry, does it look all right?

Yes, looks nice. Thank you.

This meal has cost just

under £7 and could feed the entire family.

Plus, Mandy has convinced Harry to stay in and eat it.

-You would have that again, then?

-Yes.

-Really?

-Yes, definitely.

-I think this is as nice as Adie's.

-As nice as Adie's?

-Yeah.

-Yay!

Another success.

Our new confident cook is making

light work of the chicken that's left,

using up every scrap of meat.

Normally, if I had a chicken, I would never, ever pick the

meat off because, I don't know, I've just never done it before.

There's actually quite a lot of meat on it. It surprises me.

With all that leftover chicken, Mandy has made a pasta

lunch for under £1, plus Harry and Poppy have got

chicken mayo wraps for school.

Costing 27p a wrap, this is around a quarter of the price of

their usual noodle snacks.

-How is your wrap, is it nice?

-It is all right.

I usually just have pot noodle. It is better like this

because I'm eating healthier.

During the experiment, Harry and Poppy have been taking

packed lunches to school, saving Mandy a

fortune, as she hasn't had to pop to the shop

for lunch items and snacks. But do the kids

think their beloved branded crisps have been swapped?

You can see they're not the same,

but they taste all right.

Yeah, they are supermarket own-brand ones and we halved their number.

A saving of £9.02 a week. That's nearly £470 a year.

Cutting down on crisps gives Mandy and

Poppy a chance to make some snacks of their own.

Right, we are going to make a dip, Poppy.

Mandy cooks some frozen peas and lets them cool.

Then throws them together with some

chickpeas and a clove of garlic. A quick whiz

with some olive oil and lemon juice, and the

girls have made a green pea hummus.

-I think it is nice.

-And how easy was that to make?

-Easy enough.

That has definitely got to be better than

-a packet of crisps after school.

-Yeah.

Costing £1.20 with the breadsticks, this

cheap and healthy hummus certainly counts towards

your five a day.

But what exactly is your five a day?

And how easy is it to get it?

Gregg and Chris have come to discuss the importance

of having your five a day with dietician Hala.

What makes fruits and vegetables unique is

they are absolutely maxed out in Vitamin C,

Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, potassium.

I mean, they're absolute powerhouses

-for what we need.

-What exactly is

a portion of fruit and veg? Is an apple, a banana?

One apple would denote a portion. Two satsumas, for example,

as well, would also be a portion of fruit.

We should eat 400 grams of fruit and veg a day.

That's five 80-gram portions, or five handfuls.

So, if one apple is part of my five a day,

I can't just have five apples?

-No.

-They all do something different for us, don't they?

Exactly right. Variety is really key,

because we cannot get all the vitamins and

minerals and fibre we need just from one fruit.

Your five a day can be fresh, frozen,

tinned or dried, but canned fruit must be in

water or natural juice, not in sugary syrup.

-What about if I cook them?

-They do count.

However, what we have to remember is, the more we

do to fruit and vegetables, the more we

-affect their nutritional value.

-In some cases,

cooking can unlock and release different

-nutrients and minerals.

-It can.

For example, tomatoes. The nutritional value can

actually increase through the cooking process.

What about tomato puree?

-Tomato puree absolutely does count.

-No way!

-It does because

it is a concentrated form of tomato.

However, ketchup, over there by Chris, doesn't count.

This works because this is simply lots and lots

-of tomatoes.

-Yes.

-Where ketchup probably

-isn't lots of tomatoes.

-No.

-And this has got added sugar and salt.

-Significant, yes.

So one tablespoon of tomato puree is a portion because it has

no added sugar or salt. So the carrot cake is out.

And you can mix and match your portions.

Olives are too salty to have 80 grams of, but

combined with other veg, still count towards your

daily 400-gram goal.

Potatoes don't count?

Potatoes don't count, they don't count.

And that's because of the starch content.

Which is a shame, cos you still get

-goodness from them.

-You absolutely do, and it is

definitely a vegetable. However, sweet potatoes do count.

Getting lots of fruit and veg into

your day doesn't have to be boring.

With so much variety, there's something for everyone.

Take a cooked breakfast. You can walk out the

-door with four of your five a day...

-Go on, tell us.

OK, baked beans, believe it or not, provided the

sugar and salt content is not too high, they

can be counted as one of your portions.

Add some mushrooms in there, grilled tomatoes, glass

of juice in there. You've got four before

-you've even started.

-Doesn't seem to matter

how you get it, what's important is the variety.

And that you get it.

For more info and tips, go to...

With crisps top of the Thomas kids' daily diet,

Chris is determined to get them on track for their

-five a day.

-Lots of kids are reluctant to eat

fruit and veg, and the Thomas gang are no

exception. I've got a recipe up my sleeve

that's going to hopefully encourage them

to eat veg and engage them with a healthier diet.

Hands washed, all present...attention!

Right, you lot, we are going to talk about

vegetables. Do you know what these are?

-Cucumbers.

-No, courgettes. Close.

-Have you eaten courgette before?

-No.

-What about these?

-ALL:

-Peppers.

Simple tricks, like

smelling and holding vegetables, familiarises

and encourages children to try them. And getting

them involved in the preparation also helps.

Bend your finger so you've got your knuckle against it.

Perfect. That's it. Look at this,

we've got a little veg workshop going, that's

-great, isn't it?

-Whilst everyone is busy

chopping and peeling, Chris is tackling Harry

about his eating habits.

Were you surprised to

hear that you were going out and having a fiver for

-your dinner every day...?

-Cost my mum a lot.

Eating at home, four days a week, would save

the family, over the course of a year,

about £1,000. Because that's better, isn't it?

-Yeah, definitely.

-OK, let's crack on.

Just mind the end of the skewer, it is quite sharp.

Chris has brought some turkey with him and

wants everyone to get kebabing.

You can use any meat for kebabs and flavour with herbs and

spices. But the important thing is to

add as much veg as possible.

Very good.

Brilliant, guys, well done.

30 minutes under the grill and the kebabs are ready.

And looking tasty. But will the

Thomas kids actually eat them?

-The kids have made you a delicious dinner.

-Wow.

-Lovely.

-Is that a first?

-First in this house, yeah.

-Is it? Did you enjoy making them?

-CHILDREN:

-Yes.

-Two kebabs contain at

least one five a day portion, and costing

just over £1 a head, it's cheaper and healthier

-than the kebab van.

-I have had some good

kebabs in my time, but that's just about the

-best one I've ever had.

-That's brilliant, isn't it?

High praise indeed.

It's nice to see them

all actually sitting there and looking like

-they are enjoying something.

-I think it

was nice we just cooked one meal.

All of them enjoyed eating the kebabs, and eating vegetables.

I think that's a huge success.

Hopefully, this family are on the track to

having a healthier diet.

It's the last night of their swap week. Adie is still out of sight and

Mandy's still making meals without her microwave.

I've never cooked a batter, like a pancake

or a Yorkshire pudding or anything. Because I

go to the shop and I buy frozen ones.

But this batter only costs 37p to make.

We've swapped Mandy's

usual sausages for these healthier ones, which are

a whopping 82% less fat.

-Oh!

-And they offer a

saving of over £100 a year.

They smell lovely,

and they look really meaty, but I'm still not

sure if they are the ones that I normally buy.

That is pretty impressive.

My first go.

After 40 minutes in the oven, Mandy's batter is baked.

Now, who would ever buy a frozen Yorkshire pudding?

When you can make that.

That's just really rewarding. My sausage is sinking, though!

But what will she think of the peas?

That is definitely not my peas. 100%.

Actually, I don't know.

Well, they are another swap.

This supermarket value bag of peas could save Mandy

nearly 60 quid a year, plus there's

25% more in each bag. Having swapped all of

the ingredients, this whole meal has cost

under a fiver and could easily feed six.

Sausages are lovely, there's no fatty bits in

there at all. I love them.

-What does everybody think, then?

-ALL:

-Nice.

Nice?

Another thumbs up.

Adie is now allowed in the kitchen but

only for a well-earned beer.

You know, once I open this, I will know.

There will be no doubt

in my mind whatsoever.

Oh, that is, that's the good stuff.

Positive it's the good stuff, Adie?

That is definitely, definitely what I normally drink.

-Definitely?

-Definitely.

You might want to

reconsider that, Adie. We have swapped it,

to a supermarket budget brand which could save a

respectable £58 a year.

-Good health.

-And you.

The Thomases have been tasting, testing and trying.

This experiment has been, probably...

This sounds really funny, but probably quite

life-changing for me because I have learnt so, so much.

It is really fun and really rewarding

when you cook a meal from scratch,

rather than just getting rubbish out of the freezer.

Harry has got a part-time job after

school and is eating in most evenings.

I think it is really nice to sit down and eat with the

family because we can all discuss our days.

I sort of realise now how much that you have to

work to earn your money and it's not that easy,

Mum chucking me a fiver here and there.

Having survived the swap week, the boys are back to see

-how the family have got on.

-This was quite an

extreme change. We've got Mandy to cook, we've

asked Adie to take a step back and support Mandy.

We've asked Mandy to not be so reliant on

what she calls her ping meals, her convenience

foods, cooking from scratch and getting the

whole family to eat the same meal.

I will be amazed if those children no longer want a snack.

I will be amazed if they're all sitting down

-and eating the same dinner, happily.

-Yeah.

I'm intrigued to find out what's been swapped

and what hasn't, because I'm adamant my beer was

-the same.

-I'm intrigued, and I think I've always

said I like this and I like that, but when

people actually strip labels off of food,

I haven't got a clue.

I said we'd save them 50 quid,

you said more like 70 quid. Loser buys dinner, remember?

I remember, yeah.

So who will be buying dinner? Time to find out.

How did you get on, firstly, cooking this week?

I absolutely loved every minute of it. The children come in

the kitchen with me, they had fun making the

food and I think that made them eat it as well because

we all sat down and ate together.

So, Harry, eating out. He didn't really eat at home.

Now he's home every mealtime. And I think

because he's got a new job now, he knows how

hard it is to earn money and he's kind of

realised he can't keep asking me.

-That's brilliant, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-How did the kids

get on with, shall we say, reduced snacking?

-They were fine.

-They sort of sat and ate them

and didn't make a big deal of it.

How is that possible? You were going through ten grand's

-worth of snacks a week.

-I reckon there was about

-70 packets of crisps a week.

-Did you top up?

-Didn't top up once.

-That is unbelievable.

Gregg and Chris really needed to reunite this family,

and so far, so good. But now it's down to

business. What items will they choose to swap

-or stick with?

-How did you get on with the

-pizzas we gave you?

-They were really nice,

-weren't they?

-The kids loved them.

-Yeah.

-Oh!

-Would you like to see how much you'd save on

-these five pizzas alone?

-Yeah.

-Go on, then.

-Blimey!

-Just on them?

£5.87? Wow.

With an annual saving of £305 on Mandy's usual pizza

choice, surely these are a definite swap.

Would you have picked those up at the supermarket?

-No, never.

-We would have had an argument about that.

Not any more, though, because we are sticking

-to these ones from now on.

-You will have to find

-something else to row about now.

-I know!

-Now, what about those dreaded snacks?

-The saving on

this is £6.43 a week.

-Wow.

-That's over £300 a year.

The snacks were reduced in number and in

price, too. As old favourite brands were replaced by

own brands and healthier alternatives.

I'm not going back to 70 bags a week.

In that one decision, you've got a healthier family.

-Yes, I have.

-And you are saving money.

Now it is Adie's turn.

-Beer, anyone?

-Did you enjoy the beer we gave you?

My beer, yeah!

You would know if we changed your beer?

-A million per cent.

-Of course he would.

He knows what he's talking about,

this fella, he's been drinking that all week!

-That is hilarious! I told you.

-No way!

There is a saving.

-64p for four cans.

-Right.

-Keeping it?

-Definitely.

-Really?

-Yeah, defo.

-He drank it, he liked it.

-Wow.

So your cola. How did you get on with that?

The children didn't think it was our

branded cola. They said it tasted a bit

-like syrup and water.

-So you wouldn't want to

-keep the one we gave you.

-No.

-Oh, no!

-The Thomases could save

themselves nearly £150 a year buying own-brand

diet cola, instead of their usual premium version.

All them years I've been buying that.

And then you take the label off and they don't like it.

You made a toad-in-the-hole for the family.

-So, it was a real success.

-Look at that.

-£12.21.

-That's shocking.

Producing one meal instead of five, like

Mandy used to, gives them a staggering saving

of £635 a year on one night's cooking a week.

In fact, the couple chose to keep

89% of the food items we gave them.

Oh, my God!

All helping towards their saving total.

-Baked beans.

-They were really thick and rich.

Describes me and him to a T!

THEY LAUGH

But while some items haven't made the cut...

-No, I wouldn't keep that.

-I didn't like it.

-He hated it.

-..they have made some savvy decisions, but

just how much will Mandy and Adie have saved

themselves for their first family holiday abroad?

We have managed to save you

a fairly respectable £85.70 a week.

-That's massive amounts of money.

-That is brilliant.

That is £4,456 a year.

My God, that is massive!

If you continue to do this, in five months from now,

you will have just over £1,700. You haven't had a

family holiday before, have you?

-We've got one to look forward to now.

-I'm definitely going to

-carry on doing this.

-Seeing the transformation that

the whole family has gone through is

-genuinely lovely, isn't it?

-And it genuinely is

a massive transformation, it

really has changed all of us.

Really over the moon, I didn't ever think that would be possible,

-to save 85...

-70.

-70.

I've learnt loads. And it doesn't always

pay to say yes to the people you love because

I wasn't doing them any favours just saying yes, yes, yes.

I was skint all the time and they

were eating rubbish, so...yeah.

-That was a rip-roaring success.

-The transformation that

that family has gone through is nothing short of remarkable.

-How much did they save?

-Over 80 quid a week.

So I owe you dinner?

-You owe me dinner, yes.

-Actually, I know somewhere that is

-doing a deal.

-All right.

-On week nights.

Next time, a mum who can't stop baking.

-Oh, blimey!

-How many cakes is she making?

-What?!

Can Gregg and Chris help the family improve their

diet and spend less cash?

When you set a budget, is it a budget or a target?