The Taylor Family Eat Well for Less?

-Ooh, Creme Eggs! Ooh, Maltesers!

-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.

Getting quite emotional about that.

They're going undercover...

Oh, no.

I've got to 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.

Yeah!

And giving the great British public their say.

-That's delicious.

-No.

-That's not right.

They'll be conjuring up cut-price recipes.

-Ta-da!

-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?

This is all about breaking habits and learning something new.

No!

Let's get to work.

Look, they're grubby.

This week, we're with the Taylors.

-They're hairy.

-They are, that's how they come out the ground.

Ooh, Maltesers! Ooh, Creme Eggs!

Whoa! Guys, you're out of control.

The sky's the limit when THEY hit the supermarket.

What about the everyday value ones?

No! These ones.

Might as well come down that shopping aisle chucking fivers away.

Mum Lindsey's baking obsession is sending the bills through the roof.

-Ooh! Blimey! How many cakes is she making?

-What?!

Lindsey loves to spend, spend, spend.

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

I think this is going to be hard work.

So can Gregg and Chris bring the Taylors back down to earth?

What about stopping spending?!

We're in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

-I'm Jason.

-I'm Lindsey.

-I'm Polly.

-We're the Taylors!

Mum Lindsey recently stopped work as a teaching assistant

to spend more time with her family.

And do some baking.

A lot of baking.

I bake every day.

Every day is different, depending on what everybody wants.

Oh, my mum's cakes are really nice.

Polly might be happy, but dad Jason isn't completely convinced.

I'd love to come home and instead of seeing a cake on a cake stand,

see a lovely bubbling pot of savoury food.

But for Lindsey, cooking the family's main meals has become a chore.

I find savoury dishes boring and stressful.

As a self-employed retail consultant, Jason works long hours.

Plus, the couple have another two older children who eat at different times,

so Lindsey's kitchen never closes.

It's not just the activities, it's their food interests are very varied, so

I just want to please everybody.

The children like their pasta.

And I like the fresh spaghetti.

This is quite common, just to do two different dishes.

I really have got to the point where I just don't like to think about

cooking in the evening any more.

Making lots of meals means lots of shopping.

I think I've got an obsession for buying food.

I often find I'm buying the same things week in, week out.

Don't necessarily use them,

so I'll throw them away and buy them again the following week.

So Jason's hard-earned wages are going straight in the bin.

I'm the one who thinks that we need help with our supermarket shopping.

Because I just feel it's got out of hand.

Oh, have we got some spaghetti left?

Yeah, just put it in the bin.

No, I'll pop that up for work.

I'm conscious I am throwing food away, and hiding food from Jason,

because I know that if he knows I've thrown those chicken breasts away,

-you wouldn't be too happy, would you?

-I wouldn't.

They'll have to be thrown...

Oh, parsnips have about had it.

They're not going to get used, are they?

There's so much rubbish in this fridge.

'I think the cupboards are full, and Linds thinks they're half empty.'

Cards on the table - I think you're too extravagant with your shopping.

Don't agree.

Uh-oh! There could be trouble ahead. And soon.

Jason's joining Lindsey on her first trip of the week to the shops.

Raspberries. Strawberries.

The couple have no idea they're being watched

by two new undercover sales assistants.

What about the everyday value ones?

No! These ones.

To see where the couple are going wrong,

Gregg and Chris are going to spy from a back room.

What's wrong with that one?

They've got the dates on them, that's why I like them.

See, this is for me one of the biggest bugbears.

You can quite clearly see if fruit and veg is past its best.

It goes slimy.

-Salmon? Fancy salmon?

-I fancy fish, but I don't know what.

What about the fish pie?

Is being stood in the supermarket

the time to decide that you might be having fish pie?

No, it's not.

That's no good, look, the date.

I'll have to get it, I have to go and do a top-up shop, anyway...

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

Well, Lindsey does really love her shopping.

Ooh, Maltesers! Ooh, what about this?

-Ooh!

-Ooh!

-Ooh!

-Ooh, what about this?

Ooh, what about that? That's lethal!

Might as well walk up and down that shopping aisle

chucking fivers away.

Ooh! Creme Eggs.

Shall we get them one?

The "Ooh" theory to shopping!

-Need to get some pasta sauces, as well.

-OK.

Whoa!

Hang on, we're picking up three or four branded

top-of-the-range pasta sauces here.

Pasta sauces aren't that difficult to make.

And it's not just sauce jars finding their way into the trolley.

Shopaholic Lindsey is filling it up, fast.

-OK...

-Sliced bread?

-Yeah.

That may be one of the biggest shops we've ever seen

and I don't believe we're finished yet.

Right. I need some baking stuff. I need...

-Baking stuff? Baking stuff?

-Oh.

Caster sugar. Might as well get a big one, hadn't I?

Cocoa powder, vanilla extracts, yeah, she's a cake baker.

Oh! Oh!

Blimey! How many cakes is she making?

What?!

Oh, have a look.

What was that? Like, ten plus packs of chocolate?

Can't beat a Yorkshire Tea.

What about stopping spending?!

What about going home?!

-Right.

-Shall we go and pay?

Oh. Thank goodness for that.

-Yeah...

-Take a mortgage out.

We'd best go and help them.

I think you might need a hand.

I thought we might want to do another quick 12 rounds

to see if we've forgotten anything?

The cupboards are always empty at home.

-Sure!

-They are, honestly!

-I bet.

Do you eat it all?

-Most of it.

-No, we throw,

I think, a significant proportion of vegetables and fresh away.

As I'm ringing this through...

-Yeah.

-..and from what we saw earlier,

there is a lot of brands here, isn't there?

Yeah, but then you get what you pay for, so...

Is that right? Is the more expensive stuff the better quality stuff?

I think it's tried and tested.

If I don't buy the brands that the children enjoy, then you throw it away.

You've actually spent...

..£235.

-Ouch!

-I feel embarrassed looking at some of this shopping.

-If I'm honest.

-So, are you happy with that?

Yeah, because I got to go and do my top-ups yet, so...

-There's more?

-I haven't got anything for Sunday!

Right...

The Taylors' spending on this shop alone is nearly three times

the national average, which is £91 to feed a family of five.

Are you happy when the credit card bill comes in?

-Absolutely not, no.

-I shouldn't imagine you are.

-When you set a budget...

-Yeah...

-..is it a budget, or a target?

Well...!

Right, shall we get this mountain of food back to your house?

Yeah. Lovely.

Gregg and Chris are set on slashing the Taylors' shopping bill

by digging deeper into the family's food habits.

What do you think, now we've all this laid out?

-I'm shocked.

-To me, it looks like an incredible amount of food.

I can't imagine a family getting through this.

It's having variety though, isn't it?

And having choices.

I have to cater for...everybody.

Lindsey's daily sweet treat doesn't come cheap, either.

13% of your shopping bill is for baking.

-Wow.

-13%.

-OK.

-Another 13% is on sugary snacks.

-Wow.

-Gosh, that's a lot.

That is a lot. That's erm...

That's a shock.

26% of your shopping is sugar and cream

and dairy-based products.

The fresh fruit and veg that you bought,

is 12%...

-Really?

-..of your shopping.

-Oh, my goodness.

-We're not talking about money now,

we're just talking about health and nutrition.

Yeah.

But there is still a lot of money at stake here.

So when we take into consideration coffees, sandwiches, takeaways,

that comes to just under £320 a week.

-Ooof!

-OK.

That works out at £16,500 a year.

That is too much, isn't it?

That's too much. Absolutely too much.

You think how long we have to work to earn the money to pay for that.

For Lindsey, the shopping bill has always come second

to keeping her children happy.

I suppose, really,

I just want to make sure I do everything perfect for them.

I want to be the Mary Poppins and make them...

You're in danger of making them fussy for life.

I want them to grow up and just have such happy memories of me as a mum, though.

That's interesting, actually, isn't it?

-That's why.

-There was hardly ever any food in the cupboard when they were kids,

and now, I think,

we...you go the opposite way.

-I just want to do the things that I didn't have.

-Mm.

But that priority comes at a cost.

It would be great to work less, so we don't have to pay for

-all of this extra spending that we incur.

-Mmm.

Teddy!

-And then we could have more time together, couldn't we?

-Yeah.

-As a family.

I think we need help, because it's spiralled out of control.

We need to impose a bit more discipline on the way we shop.

Sounds simple.

But how do Gregg and Chris rate their chances?

This family are spending an outrageous amount of money.

The majority of the spend is certainly down to Lindsey,

but I think the problem is down to the whole family.

There is a real issue with her cooking lots of different meals.

We know what the answer to that is,

it's getting the family to agree to a meal plan.

Once they've agreed to it and said "Yes, I'll eat that",

then they can't turn their nose up at it.

And then, hopefully, Lindsey will get the same validation

from cooking the family meal

that she gets from making all these cakes and sweet treats.

So, that, I think, that is the key.

I think the focus should be the health,

the diet of that family and I think if we get that absolutely right,

I'm pretty sure a saving in money will follow.

I'd say 60 quid, on the nose.

60 quid? OK.

I think we could save them about £100 a week.

Right, you've chucked down the gauntlet...

and Lindsey's about to cover it in sugar and bake it!

Breaking Lindsey's baking habit isn't going to be easy.

First stage is a little spring clean of her kitchen.

Oh, my gosh...

Oh!

Uh-oh!

Does that mean we're not allowed in there?

Afraid so, Jason.

Plus, all your familiar foods are now disguised in plain packaging.

-Is that it?

-There's not really much.

Ham and cheese and that's it?

You've got more beers than I've got food!

To put the Taylors' taste buds to the test,

some items haven't been swapped at all.

Most are cheaper than their usual buy,

but a few are a little more expensive,

because sometimes it's worth spending that bit more.

-Muesli...

-Oh, muesli.

Well, I don't eat muesli.

-I do.

-Couscous.

-Oh.

-Yeah, but...

-Jar of couscous.

Yes, but I like fresh couscous.

-That means I've got to do...

-Diet coke. Pickle.

-Do you think that's dried, then?

-Well, it is, isn't it?

Looking at what we've had in the fridge

and looking what we've got here, what meals are we going to have?

I'm going to have to make things.

-Yes.

-There's no pasta sauces, there's things in there you like,

-so you'll be all right.

-I'm happy with that.

-I think this is going to be hard work.

-I'm excited.

I'm excited to try it.

This is a really freaking you out, isn't it?

I feel really uncomfortable.

Our cupboards are empty. There's nothing in here. My cupboards are bare.

Do you think?

My mum, I think, went a bit over the top,

because I think she just needs to let go of it.

-They're hairy!

-They are, that's how they come out the ground.

Yeah, but look, they're just...

It's a real shock to see the lack of food in the kitchen.

Look, they're grubby.

Genuinely, I'm excited to try some new things that we've not had before.

I think it's a step forward.

Well, at least one person's feeling positive.

The Taylors are about to eat their first swap meal.

For breakfast, they normally spend £4 a week on fresh berries,

but, today, they'll be having frozen ones

at less than half the price.

The berries look nice.

I'm not convinced just yet.

They're having defrosted fruit with a supermarket value muesli,

which is 70% less sugar than the usual premium granola.

Now, this looks like rabbit food.

I'm not looking forward to having this at all.

To me, it's too dry.

I'll just laden mine with yoghurt and honey

and try some of those berries.

OK, guys. Breakfast's ready.

If this goes down well,

the family could pocket more than 200 quid a year.

-I really like it.

-Ah! Ha-ha! Do you?

-Mmm.

I think the berries are adding a lot more flavour

than they normally would.

The Taylors have bagged a great saving with their first swap.

It's not surprising.

Breakfast is big business here in the UK.

We eat 520,000 tonnes of cereal a year.

Enough to fill the whole of Wembley Stadium.

We've come to see if some Brummie badminton players

can tell one wheat biscuit cereal from another.

I think my favourite brand would be Weetabix.

-Weetabix.

-I think I would be able to tell the difference.

I think a supermarket brand might taste quite cardboard-like.

In play today, Asda's budget wheat biscuits.

Sainsbury's basics variety.

A shade more costly, Tesco's mid-range offering.

Stretching the purse strings a little more

are Morrison's wheat biscuits.

The big name brand Weetabix is the most expensive on test.

But with all five containing basically the same ingredients,

will these lads be able to tell them apart?

First up, a supermarket own brand.

You can definitely taste the wheat.

I think it's one of the mediocre ones.

I don't think it's the top one.

I disagree. I think it's one of the expensive ones.

Next, the nation's best seller.

It's more like cardboard than the last one.

I'm a bit 50-50 with that, to be fair.

It tastes quite cheap in my opinion.

Yeah, it does have quite a decent texture to it, to be fair.

But what will these picky palates make of the cheapest?

I think it's cheap, but it's still quite nice, actually.

I think, like, this one's the best.

It's got a creamy...

Can we just ask you what makes you think this is creamy?

And now the last one,

price bang in the middle.

I think this one looks like Weetabix.

It's definitely Weetabix, I'm telling you.

It's Weetabix, this one.

Sorry, lads - it's definitely not.

So, which biscuit did the badminton boys give top marks to?

And the winner is...

Tesco.

-What?

-Tesco.

-That's just really surprising.

So, two mid-priced cereals took first and second place,

with the expensive market leader in the middle

and one of the budget biccies at the bottom.

From personal experience I would have thought

I would have been able to spot the expensive one, but clearly not.

I'll definitely tell my parents to try the cheaper one

and it turns out on top.

We're all guilty of getting stuck in a shopping routine.

And the Taylor family are no exception.

Ketchup has to be Heinz ketchup.

Snacks and cereals, they all have to be Kellogg's, or Nestle, or McVitie's.

You can taste the difference, I believe.

Brand devotee Lindsey has been buying the same tea

for over 20 years.

I do like a really strong tea, which is why I buy my favourite brand.

She's bound to notice any change to her usual brew.

Or is she?

Mmm... I think that's different.

I don't think it's as strong, do you?

-No, I don't either. That's definitely not as full of flavour as you'd normally have.

-No.

I think I prefer the one we normally have.

Sure about that?

It's not very tea-like...

-No.

-..is it, really?

But I don't think I'd buy this one.

But you do. All the time!

-No.

-We haven't swapped it, Lindsey. Promise.

But we have replaced your favourite tomato soup,

that you spend nearly a quid on,

with a budget supermarket alternative.

-Looks the same.

-The usual one.

Smells like the usual one.

-Do you think?

-Does it taste like the usual one?

There's a good chance, if it is a different brand,

it's probably going to be cheaper, as well.

65p cheaper, to be precise, Lindsey.

It's nice. I'd definitely have it again.

As they get through three tins a week,

that means a saving of over £100 a year.

We've also switched their chips to a value brand,

which could save them over a quid a bag.

But will Holly approve?

How about your chips?

-Nice.

-That's another 50 quid a year banked.

Holly also likes to see a logo on her baked beans,

so Mum normally pays 75p a tin for the market leader. But today,

Holly's eating supermarket value beans,

which cost less than a third of that.

They're definitely different.

Are they? In a nice way?

-Yeah, they taste a bit like school beans.

-Oh, do they?

-Yeah.

If Mum got those beans in the future,

then I'd definitely eat them.

That's a tidy 52p saving per tin.

And as Holly gets through three a week,

switching brands means Mum and Dad pocket an extra 80 quid a year.

But it's not just about saving money.

Gregg wants to try and improve this family's diet too.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Right.

Eat Well For Less? shopping bag.

Oh, OK.

Gregg's got a veg stew recipe that he's hoping will inspire Lindsey

to enjoy cooking main meals as much as she does baking cakes.

These are three things that you regularly buy,

-and I should imagine you regularly throw away.

-Yes, definitely.

Do you see a dish there?

No. I see, erm,

something to accompany a meal.

-You probably don't think the kids are going to eat this?

-No, not at all.

-Why?

-Because they can see the veg.

They'll eat vegetables on the side of a roast dinner?

-Yeah.

-Then they eat vegetables.

This stew couldn't be simpler.

Gregg's frying an onion first, then some crushed garlic.

Put plenty of salt on this.

-OK.

-Two reasons. One is, because the salt is abrasive,

it helps to crush the garlic.

Secondly, because it's so absorbent

-it will take up the oil from the garlic.

-OK.

How about that?

I want flavour in here.

A 70p jar of spice can jazz up loads of meals.

I mean, paprika is smoky.

It's only a very, very mild heat,

and the flavour that it adds is just an undertone of smoky.

The chopped veg goes into a pan with a litre of stock.

We're going to let that cook, lid on, until the potatoes are soft.

It smells lovely.

-Can I ask you - you said before that you like to have full up cupboards.

-Yes.

-Are you nervous about having empty cupboards?

-Yes. I'm worried that...

I think it stems from childhood, really,

that we didn't have food in the house.

You know, it was things like we used to have sugar sandwiches.

We used to have to drink juice out of a jar of pickled onions

because that was all that was left in the cupboards.

I think, because of that, I always wanted to make sure, if I then had children myself,

that they would have the right things in life, and Mum was always going to be there for them.

I think that you must know, it's possible to look after your family

and love them and not have to spend thousands of pounds doing it.

Yeah, I do now. I do realise now, now I've had the wake-up call, but, yes.

A simple way to slash the food bills is to do a meal plan.

But it can only work if everyone chips in.

So Jason and Holly are working out what the family will eat for a week.

Lasagne.

On Sunday, a Sunday roast.

Sunday roast, yeah.

Beef casserole.

-That's four days of the week sorted.

-Yeah.

I'm hoping that by planning our meals as a family,

we'll have fewer meals to cook,

we can all agree on the meals that we're going to have,

and, overall, a bit less time spent in the kitchen for Lindsey.

I think it will help my mum save a bit more money

because she'll know what she wants to buy,

cos we'll all agree on what we want to eat.

Hopefully, Gregg's veg stew with added baked beans for sweetness

will also be a hit.

Whoa! Look at that, baby!

That's lovely.

Looks brilliant, doesn't it?

I think we might be ready to serve.

Lovely.

Do you like the look of it?

-I do. Yeah.

-Thought you might.

-Absolutely.

-It's the difficult customer that bothers me.

Can you eat parsley?

-Do you think I put it on there to poison you?

-Maybe.

Oh, wow! That is incredible.

-What do you think, Holly?

-It's nice.

Oh, baby!

-Well done, Hols.

-You're eating veg.

Come here, Hols.

It tastes great, it's healthy, it costs pennies to make,

and the kids are eating it.

Did you enjoy cooking as much as you like baking?

-Did you?

-I did. I really, really enjoyed it.

I'm actually really excited about this.

This is a real step in the right direction for the Taylors.

In terms of their food budget and in terms of their health.

Veg, veg!

That's what we want.

Too right, Gregg.

Most veg is naturally low in fat and calories,

and packed with vitamins and minerals.

-Hey.

-Hi.

-How are you?

-I'm good, thanks. How are you?

-Very well, thank you.

So Gregg and Chris are going to pool their greengrocer knowledge

with dietician Hala El-Shafie,

to work out the best way to buy fresh produce.

They know mum Lindsey likes to buy hers washed and packaged.

Right, well, for me, actually the worst thing you can do

when buying fruit or veg is buying a packet

because, actually, you've got no way of telling

-how fresh it is.

-Because you can't touch it.

So, with a courgette, you want it firm,

and you want to make sure there is no soft bits on it.

Herbs, make sure the leaves are all green.

Inside a bag, that's much more difficult to tell.

And, ironically, sometimes putting these products in bags can shorten

their shelf life, because the product can't breathe.

So, for our greengrocers, loose veg is king.

And then there's the question of cost.

What's the price difference between the loose and the bagged?

Well, this is where it gets really mad.

57p per kilo.

-So it's 57p a kilo more to have it in the bag?

-Yeah.

57p more for a packaged banana from the same shop.

Packaging does often carry cooking instructions, though,

and for Lindsey it's all about seeing

that all-important best before date.

I don't know why any of us would need a date on a bag

to tell us that the vegetable has gone off.

It's going soft and it's got mould on it.

It's very, very obvious.

It's saying these chillies are best before three days' time.

They're going to be no different in five, six, seven days' time, are they?

So what about the sweet potatoes, then?

I reckon at least two to three weeks.

-Are you joking?

-Keep 'em out of the sun.

You don't have to put them in the fridge.

Keep 'em in a dark cupboard like you would potatoes.

That'll be as solid as this in about three weeks' time.

According to this, five days' time

and it's all over for these sweet potatoes.

-No!

-Nonsense.

-What is going to do, explode?

So I suppose the only down point is the less fresh something is,

the less nutritional value it has.

Absolutely. The older any fruit or vegetable is,

it's going to deteriorate in nutritional quality.

However, it still is going to have some value

and it is going to have that fibre

and also, looking at it in context,

I wouldn't be encouraging everybody

to wait until all their fruit and veg is out the window before you prep it.

Talking of waiting, there's always a few culprits

who end up hanging around a little longer than they should.

Up and down the country, there are fruit bowls like this.

Everywhere. Looking a little bit sad and a little bit sorry.

-Would you bin these?

-I'd use them in a smoothie or a juice.

You could make banana ice cream.

-What would you do with them?

-What I do is peel them, chop them up,

put them in a pan, steam them slightly,

add some cinnamon, they're absolutely delicious

and if you've got a really sweet tooth, these are fantastic.

And Gregg's not short of ideas

when it comes to using fruit past its best.

We can make purees out of the fruit and freeze them.

We can make compotes and put them in jars.

-Indeed.

-Or we could put them in smoothies,

cook 'em, have 'em for your breakfast.

-We're going to have a go at this.

-Thank you.

-That's fantastic, isn't it?

That's a wonderful thing.

-How is it?

-I'm not sure, I'll have to have a second...

In Leicestershire, it's teatime.

Normally, Lindsey would just open a jar, but not tonight.

I am making pasta sauce from scratch tonight.

First time for me.

So I'm hoping Holly enjoys it. And Jason.

You know, it's probably going to be healthier.

Sure is. It's got half the salt of Lindsey's usual sauce.

And it's cheaper, costing 13p per person to make,

when some of Lindsey's jars cost £1.70 each.

I think the smell of the onions and garlic is very strong.

I don't like the look of these sausages.

That might be because they're not pork.

They're venison, which do cost a bit more,

but they have 80% less fat and nearly double the protein

of the family's usual frankfurters.

I'm trying to be positive.

But they just... They're not doing it for me.

Well, the proof will be in the eating.

All the sauce needs now is some passata.

Tonight is a landmark occasion.

They are all going to be eating the same pasta.

And, in another first, Lindsey is grating cheese.

She normally opts for pre-grated, but if she bought a block,

she could save nearly a quid.

I would always opt to buy already grated cheese, cos it's quick.

So this is quite time-consuming.

But it could save you nearly 50 quid a year.

There you go. It's not the normal.

-Smells nice.

-It's not your normal hot dog.

And dum-dum-dum! - I made the sauce.

Oh. Did you? From scratch?

Wow! That is absolutely stunning.

I don't think I want to put one of those jars in my pan again.

Great news.

Swapping the jars for home-made will mean a saving of nearly 15 quid a month.

I think I'd give the sausages about a six out of 10.

-Yeah. See, I wouldn't. I'd them probably a three.

-Would you?

Sounds like the Taylors wouldn't be up for paying extra

for the healthier bangers. But the rest of the meal was a huge hit.

I'm really happy that the pasta sauce went down really well,

which is, obviously, what I made from scratch,

so I've got a bit of a buzz from that.

With Lindsey happily making main meals at last,

it's time to tackle her habit of making a sweet treat every day.

Lindsey is a fantastic baker.

I really enjoy it. And I like to see my children's faces

when they can enjoy some home-made cake.

This is really nice.

If I came back from school one day and there was nothing baked,

then I would think there was something wrong.

Daily baking means this family need to reduce their sugar and fat intake.

So Chris has booked in some kitchen time with Lindsey and Holly.

-Thank you.

-Hello.

In his honour, she's made a sweet treat.

-This looks fantastic. What have we got here?

-It's a tiffin.

Can you tell me what ingredients are in it?

It's got digestive biscuits, it's got dark chocolate, milk chocolate,

cherries, marshmallows, syrup, butter.

OK. Well, it does look delicious.

-Is this one of your favourites?

-Yes.

So, could you cut me off what would be a normal slice of this, please?

Yeah. OK.

Would you be surprised to hear that we've had a nutritionist

look at this specific recipe that you use?

-Right.

-And in that one portion,

there is over half your daily allowance of saturated fat.

No way.

And saturated fat is linked to raising your cholesterol.

-Yeah.

-Which can lead to heart disease.

What I think you might find shocking as well is if I show you

how much sugar is in one slice...

-OK.

-..of your cake.

Four, five.

Six.

-Do you think that's bad?

-Yeah, that's a lot.

Seven, eight.

So eight spoonfuls of sugar.

In just that one slice?

And, I mean, that looks like a lot on its own,

but, even more so, when you realise the daily allowance

of this type of sugar is only seven teaspoons.

And I'm putting that in Holly's lunchbox.

As well as other things.

-That's scary.

-It is, isn't it?

As a mum, I feel like I'm

obviously giving the wrong food to Holly, certainly, as a treat,

and that's what I see it as, as a treat,

-but it's not actually a good treat, is it, to give?

-No.

And Lindsey's not just baking sweet stuff each day,

she also BUYS treats, spending just under £1,500 a year on chocolate,

biscuits, and cereal bars.

Would you be surprised to know that there's actually more sugar

in your muesli bar than there is in that cake?

Wow. Gosh.

In fact, each of the cereal bars

that Lindsey buys for the kids' lunchbox

has the same amount of sugar as five digestive biscuits

and the same amount of fat as nine - yep, nine! - Jaffa Cakes.

Oh, my goodness. That's like almost a pack, isn't it?

-Of Jaffa Cakes.

-Yeah, I think it probably is, there or thereabouts,

-a pack, yeah.

-Gosh.

To satisfy Lindsey's need to cater for her daughter's sweet tooth,

Chris is making an oaty bar with seeds and dried fruits.

It's low in fat and sugar, thanks to melted peanut butter and honey.

OK. Any volunteers for mixing it up?

Very good. Brilliant.

Ha-ha! It tickles!

So you can add anything to this, then?

Holly really likes blueberries as well, so we could put some in there.

Yeah, yeah, definitely. It's so versatile, it's so easy,

and so quick. And it is cheap!

-Right.

-Very, very cost-effective.

If the family make their own cereal bars like this one,

they could save nearly £150 a year.

And there's no cooking either.

Just an hour in the freezer.

That's great.

I really think today will have made Lindsey think twice about giving

her family all of these cakes and sweet treats.

She does it for the right reasons,

but it's the wrong stuff to be giving her family.

The moment of truth...

There we go. Right, so, Holly, it's only fair if you take the first bit.

You grabbed the biggest bit!

Thank you.

-That is nice.

-That's lovely, isn't it?

But the question is, does it satisfy your sweet tooth?

-Yes.

-I don't think these will last long, to be honest.

Weekends usually see the Taylors splashing 20 quid

on a panini and chips from the local deli.

But today, we've given them ingredients for a veg packed lunch at home.

Chickpeas and veggies are things that Jason absolutely loves.

And they're cheaper than chips.

This meal costs just over a pound per person,

saving the family almost £600 a year.

I can't believe how quick this is to make.

But it's not just about the speed, it's just been the enjoyment for me,

standing here making things from scratch,

so preparing my own veg to put in this.

It's just brilliant because it's not out of a packet.

-It's nice and fresh.

-Mm.

I like this. And it makes a nice change from sandwiches.

Very nice, yeah.

Lindsey is on a roll now when it comes to cooking things

other than cakes.

Next stop, a home-made hummus.

It costs half of what a slice

of her after-school Victoria sponge cake would.

And it's way healthier.

-Did you make it?

-I did make it.

-OK.

-Are you impressed?

I am.

What's more impressive is how the savings stack up.

The hummus ingredients are nearly £2 cheaper than Lindsey's cake.

Potentially banking another 500 quid a year.

And replacing their usual jacket spud with cheese and bean supper

could also save cash.

A baked sweet potato with cream cheese and fresh chilli costs 68p less.

That's really nice. Really nice!

And, it has around a quarter less calories.

I didn't think I would say it, but I've not missed my baking.

I'm really enjoying just the savoury dishes altogether.

I just don't know why I've not done it before.

The Taylors could save even more by taking advantage

of the free food they have at home.

I've got six chickens.

I get six eggs a day.

It's only me that looks after these chickens.

They're my favourite things, actually.

I find them very therapeutic.

Lindsey's lucky enough to have eggs on demand.

Most of us have to buy them, to the tune of 12 billion a year.

But a staggering one million end up in the bin every day,

with a quarter of those still being perfectly edible.

Chris has come to meet Ken,

who owns a free-range chicken farm in Somerset,

to get the inside story on an egg's journey

from pen to supermarket shelf.

-You all right there?

-Yeah, yeah.

They all thought Gregg was coming.

That's why they're all excited, I think.

What time do these girls start work?

About four o'clock in the morning.

So, presumably, when it comes to laying eggs you don't want them laying them

wherever they are on the floor.

We try and train the birds to lay in the nests over there, where it's nice and clean.

After a busy morning laying,

these hens are free to roam the fields all day.

It's all about a stress-free life, isn't it?

With the birds not getting stressed, just getting good grub,

just going to lay a nice tasty egg. Job done.

First stop is the crack detector test.

OK, so each egg, as it rotates, is tapped in every different position of the egg.

Right, so you're actually tapping them?

Yeah. It's a bit like a China cup syndrome,

so if you get a nice crisp ping it means the eggs are fine.

There's a microphone at the top of that plunger.

The computer in there is building up a perfect picture of the egg,

where it's cracked, how much is cracked, whether it's going to leak.

All the eggs that go to the supermarket will not be cracked.

So what happens to any eggs that are cracked?

Go for processing. Cakes and baking and that sort of thing.

-OK, so in cake mixtures and things like that?

-Yeah.

Next destination is the dirt detection test.

Got a load of cameras at the top.

-Oh, wow.

-Taking lots of pictures of each egg.

But they're lit up completely differently.

-What's that?

-That's just to give the camera a better picture of the egg shell.

That will see any feathers, any tiny dirt marks, any misshapes.

But surely people are happy enough with the occasional feather,

or a little bit of dirt on their egg?

I mean, where do people think they've come from?

Well, in the supermarket they've got to be a perfectly clean,

round, brown egg.

The journey from hen to supermarket can take as little as 48 hours.

But first, the eggs must be sized and stamped with a best before date.

So that gives you 28 days from the date it is laid.

Doesn't mean that, at that stage, it suddenly becomes un-fresh.

But how can you tell your egg is still good to eat

after its best before date?

There's a little test.

-What have you got here for me?

-If the egg's within its 28 days,

it's just going to sit horizontally on the bottom of the bowl.

She's quite happily lying on the bottom, horizontal.

Nice, fresh egg.

OK, so that's at an angle.

Roughly 45 degrees. What does that mean?

Not as fresh as this one, but it's still perfectly safe to eat.

-I quite like this game.

-Yeah.

Brilliant, so that's completely upright.

Yeah. Just right on the borderline.

-You wouldn't want to leave that that much longer than that before you eat it?

-No.

-Incredible, isn't it?

-Yeah.

OK, so what would happen if we had an egg that wasn't safe to eat?

Should be virtually floating on the top there.

That's because as the egg gets older,

more air gets through its surprisingly porous shell,

making it float.

That's a cracking test you got there, Ken.

Nice one. Thank you.

In Leicestershire, Lindsey normally uses her eggs for baking.

But today, they're going into an omelette.

At just 8p each,

this eggy brekkie would save nearly £4.50,

compared to their usual weekend bacon butties.

-This is nice.

-I have to say,

I think that cheese gives it a really nice taste.

Very strong taste.

-I think omelettes are just really quick, easy, healthy options.

-Mmm.

And they'll pocket you nearly £200 a year.

Talking of budget-busting deals,

Gregg and Chris are heading back to meet dietician Hala

to see how they can help the Taylors eat well for even less.

-Hey.

-Hi.

-So we set you a little challenge, didn't we?

-We did indeed.

-To find a nice,

tasty meal you can get ready the day before that they can take for

either a school lunch, or a work lunch,

and we set you the task of getting it under £3. How did you get on?

-Smashed it.

-Smashed it?

-Smashed it. £2.59.

-£2.59?

-Indeed.

-So what are we going to do?

We are doing a frittata.

This is a brilliant dish because it's fantastic for all the leftovers.

I've got last night's potatoes here.

I've got some frozen peas, but do you know what?

You could use pretty much anything you like.

Whatever you've got in the fridge. Just chuck it all in. Job done.

It starts with frying an onion.

-So you've got a technique, then, Gregg?

-What, to stop crying?

-You stay away from it.

-Stay away from the onion?

I have done. I've given it to you.

Don't lean over it.

Hala's adding pepper and chorizo for texture, colour, and a bit of smokiness.

How did you come up with the idea of the frittata, then?

-What was that?

-Nutritionally, it's fantastic,

because you've got your protein with your eggs

and the flavours are incredible.

And this is OK to make the day before or leave in the fridge for a couple of days?

Absolutely and, actually, the next day it's probably better

because the flavours have really had an opportunity to get through

-and taste good.

-Very good.

-Do you want the milk in here?

-Yes, please.

Some garlic, onions, and pepper then get fried in a slug of olive oil.

What is great with recipes like this is let everybody get involved

and pick an ingredient and really TAILOR it. Eh?

-Yeah, it's a good idea.

-To suit your needs.

-Tailor it for the Taylors.

That smells great.

-That is lovely.

-Good, innit?

This is much better than a boring old sandwich, isn't it?

-Ain't it just?

-And, so, it's £2.59?

£2.59.

I mean, you could just about get a sandwich for £2.59, can't you?

If you're lucky, yeah.

After the veg has softened, in go the eggs.

OK, so can you see here,

now it's actually starting to come away from the pan here.

That's when we know it's time to stick it in the oven.

It only needs 10 minutes in a hot oven and - voila!

Look at this. That actually looks really lovely.

Go on. Go on, get in there.

-Get on that.

-Yeah?

That is sweet with the peas and the peppers

-and it's smoky with that chorizo.

-That's beautiful.

-Yeah?

I can't imagine anyone would rather have a stale sandwich than that

and the value is incredible.

Cheap, healthy, and delicious.

Result.

In Leicestershire, the Taylors are almost at the end

of their experiment.

This family love their takeaways,

but it costs them more than 1,300 quid a year.

So, tonight, dad Jason is cooking his own.

A chicken tikka masala with rice.

If I came home to this smell, I'd be absolutely delighted.

Let's hope it's a hit with everyone else.

I think Linz might have some reservations about this meal.

I think she'll worry that it might be a bit too spicy.

Well, you should score points for presentation at least.

I'm hoping if it looks good, then they'll think it tastes good,

even if it doesn't.

Well, as this only costs £1.30 each,

it'll mean you're nearly 90 quid a month better off, if nothing else.

It's all right.

It's all right? OK.

-I like the chicken.

-You like the chicken.

But the actual taste is lovely.

With the food swaps finished,

Gregg and Chris are back in Leicestershire

to meet Lindsey and Jason for the last time.

So this week, hopefully, they would have seen that they don't need

all of these sweet treats.

Their diet should have improved.

Hopefully, they would have felt better about that

and confident in the fact that their long-term health isn't going to suffer.

And if we can get the whole family eating the same meal,

that is where the savings are going to come.

-And I reckon 60 quid.

-Yeah.

You reckon £100.

-There's only one way of finding out, you know.

-This is true. Let's go.

I think the week's been really good.

The meals that we've made, it's been positive.

I've been given a reward from the motivation from Jason and Holly

to go and have another go at something else.

So it's certainly set the seed for me to get in that kitchen a bit more

and forget my baking, and, you know,

come up with something that's tasty and nutritious.

I'm looking forward to carrying this on.

-And I haven't actually thrown anything away.

-Yes!

But what we all really want to know is how much money

have Gregg and Chris saved the Taylors?

-Hello!

-Hello. Come in.

-All right?

Lindsey, you loved to have a house full of food.

-Yes.

-Did you not worry that you didn't have enough food?

I did initially but, you know, I'm eating my words.

So the big question is, how did you get on not baking this week?

I didn't miss it. I actually thought I would,

but being in the kitchen and making savoury dishes

that we could all sit and enjoy it was really nice.

How did you get on with the swaps?

We've noticed things taste slightly different,

but often they just taste great.

Shall we see what you been eating?

-Yeah. That would be good.

-I'm really interested to find out.

Oh, this looks intriguing.

Breakfast, we gave you muesli.

-How did you get on with that?

-The rabbit food, as I call it,

is actually quite pleasant.

So, yeah. It isn't...

-Oh, no way!

-Would you have ever considered buying this before?

-No!

-No!

-And it's the entry-level!

-CHRIS:

-Yeah, value.

-Wow.

-I would have walked past that.

-Gosh.

-OK, well, it is cheaper.

A great start.

Just swapping this will save £95 a year.

-That's amazing.

-That's fantastic.

-Yeah.

-Very pleased.

-You're going to keep this?

-We're going to keep that.

And there's more breakfast savings to be had if they're willing to switch

from fresh to frozen berries.

-No way.

-£2.50.

And we buy loads and loads of fresh berries.

-Yeah.

-And throw quite a few away.

-Wowee!

-We're keeping the frozen berries?

-Yes, definitely.

-Absolutely.

-Good on you.

So far the swaps have been easy to spot.

But when it comes to her beloved cuppa,

what will lifelong brew addict Lindsey make of the tea?

Everyone loves a cup of tea.

-Or do they?

-Not your cup of tea.

-You don't like MY cup of tea?

-They were horrible.

-It's not very tea-like, is it, really?

-No.

So that is a definite swap and a big no-no.

I find that strange because we gave you a decent tea.

Very decent, in fact.

-No, that's not true. That's not true.

-The same one you always have.

You're playing fast and loose now.

That's not true.

They're pulling our leg, cos I know that's not Yorkshire Tea

-in those things.

-I can assure you 100%.

I couldn't tell you if it wasn't true.

So do you think you MAY now try a cheaper alternative

from the tea that you used to like but now don't like?

Well, no...

That's a confusing answer, dear.

It's very hard to answer that question because I really do like that tea.

-No, you don't.

-Or do you?

Do you know, I'm really confused as to whether I do right now.

If you leave it in the box,...

SHE CACKLES

..it'll taste OK.

HYSTERICAL CACKLE CONTINUES

That's the best reaction to a cup of tea I've ever seen.

I think we'll just try a different brand.

-Slightly cheaper?

-Yes.

Lindsey loves a short cut,

like pre-grated cheese.

But saving money can mean a little work.

-The cheese?

-It looked like it was out of date.

It was all sort of hard and cracked, from the outside,

but it had a really beautiful taste.

It was divine, really.

So you didn't like the look of the cheese, as it was in one big solid lump,

as opposed to lots of little shredded...?

When I grated it up, because I had to obviously grate it up -

which was all right, didn't take TOO long! -

-it tasted lovely.

-We obviously swapped it, because it was...

A lump of cheese.

And it's a branded cheese but from the deli counter.

-Oh, OK.

-But you were perfectly happy with it?

-Yes.

-Would you like to see the savings?

-Yes, please.

-91p?

-Wow!

-For a lump of cheese.

Which worked out about £47 a year.

-Wow!

-For someone to grate your cheese for you.

-Yes.

Did the children recognise it?

Have they ever seen cheese whole before?

I think I remember Holly not liking the look of it.

-"It's massive!"

-"Look at the size of this flake of cheese, Mum!"

Two slices of bread.

-CHRIS:

-"Don't think much of their cheese."

No, that's good. I like that.

So we're keeping that? That's a swap?

Absolutely. Brilliant.

Remember Lindsey's jars of sauces?

What savings can she expect by making her own?

Oh! No!

£3.27.

-It tastes better...

-And how long does a tomato sauce take?

It was minutes, this is the thing.

-And we now have some in the freezer.

-Yeah.

-Brilliant.

Over a year, the family could pocket over £170 by binning their jars.

But that's not the only saving they can make by cooking from scratch.

-Takeaways?

-Yes.

-Yes.

You had a go this week of making your own chicken tikka, didn't you?

-Yes, we did.

-All right.

-How did you get on that?

-It was lovely.

-I made it. Yeah.

-And, we all enjoyed it.

The difference in price on one takeaway...is that.

-Oh! Wow!

-Oh, wowee! On one takeaway?

-Gosh.

-That in itself is just over £1,000 a year.

Yeah.

-We'll take that.

-We'll take that.

During the experiment,

the Taylors tried a whole range of different products.

That really worked well, actually.

-And we haven't missed buying the other brand, have we?

-No.

And the savings kept on stacking up.

That's just... It's just unbelievable.

I couldn't believe that one.

Swapping just these six items...

-Just on one tin of soup? 65p.

-Wow.

..saves them another £520 a year.

In fact, the Taylors hardly rejected any swaps.

Except those sausages.

-Didn't like them.

-Bit too rich.

So I think we've done remarkably well here, haven't we?

Amazing!

Unbelievable.

So far, so good.

But can mum Lindsey really commit to quitting her cake-a-day habit?

If you agree to just bake once a week,

that would represent a saving of £24 a week.

Gosh, that's a lot of money, isn't it?

It is. It's a shade over £1,250 a year.

And that wasn't all.

You were spending £28.65 per week on confectionery.

-Shall we halve it?

-That still seems TOO high.

OK. Well, if we cut it down by three-quarters

that means you still spend £7 a week on it.

Yeah, that's...probably more realistic.

Good. Wow!

Listen to you two.

-OK. Good...

-I'm seeing all these pound signs now,

and wondering what I can do with the money.

So - how do the final figures tot up?

-We have made a saving.

-OK.

If you carry on like this - and I've got a feeling this is just the start,

your weekly saving is £126.18.

Wow.

That's good, isn't it?

-That's fantastic.

-Yeah. That's really good.

That is brilliant.

That's a yearly saving of £6,561.36.

-Yes!

-I can work less now.

You are spending less time in the kitchen.

You are all eating healthier.

And you are now giving yourself an extra £6,500 a year.

That's great. Brilliant, isn't it?

-It's been an absolute pleasure.

-Thank you. Thank you.

-Genuinely enjoyed it.

Thank you.

But there were times we thought it wasn't possible, as well.

I just want to continue this journey.

I don't want to go back to providing sweet treats.

I think these changes are definitely going to stick.

We've seen a better way of shopping, better way of eating, better way of cooking.

That was fantastic.

Jason has got what he wanted.

He's got healthier food, and they are saving a sack full of money.

But it's the transition in Lindsey

which is nothing short of incredible.

She's almost unrecognisable from the woman we met.

I mean, this is absolutely astonishing.

The time you spent with her, showing how much sugar and butter she was feeding her family

was the best day's work you've ever done.

That's very kind of you, Gregg.

But there's also the small matter of who won the bet.

Well, I said they would probably save, what, £60?

I said 100. What did they end up saving?

Well over 100. Well done.

-Look, you can wear the hat.

-Oh, wicked!

-All right?

-It's a bit small for me, Gregg.

-Well, you got a big head.

-Well, I have after that.

Next time: A dad with a sneaky shopping habit.

You're going to the shop 11 times every single week.

That's outrageous.

Can Gregg and Chris bring down this family's bills?

Are you committed to making a change?

-100%.

-Yeah, absolutely.