Episode 6 Eat Well for Less?

-Holy guacamole!

-Gregg Wallace and Chris Bavin are back

-and more determined than ever...

-Ooh, look at this!

-Whoa, whoa!

She's just gone crazy in the confectionery aisle.

..to help families rein in their spending...

-We've been watching everything.

-No! My God!

That is a really funny way of shopping.

-They're taking over kitchens...

-Oh, my...!

It looks like the aubergine emoji.

She's traumatised by that.

..boosting nutrition...

-Apple and carrot don't go together.

-Oh, yes, they do.

..scrutinising popular food and drink...

That's vastly superior. I like that texture.

And also it's a lot thicker, so you can get more on your toast.

..and giving the great British public their say...

-I think this is the nicest out of all of them.

-Yeah.

No, definitely not.

..on their mission to show us how we can Eat Well For Less.

Oh, my God!

I'm laughing cos if I don't laugh, I'll cry.

-Yeah, we've got a fair bit of work to do.

-Let's go.

-Tonight...

-Ooh!

-..a mum who's developed a bad habit...

Sue, what are you doing?!

I just like shopping.

..in order to please everyone.

It is quite tricky - making something that they all like.

Can Gregg and Chris get this family back to basics...

Get your spice tray out.

..to stop them spending a fortune?

That's an enormous amount of money.

This week, we're in leafy Surrey.

-ALL:

-We are the Prestwich family.

Meet part-time teaching assistant Sue,

chartered surveyor John, and daughters Sophie and Anna.

Two girls, 13 and 16...

-15. I forgot their ages!

-Cut!

-Sorry, I forgot their ages.

-Susan!

-Yes.

And a dog, Sheila, who's six months old.

John works long hours, and so, in this busy household,

it's up to Sue to feed the family.

John leaves at 6.30 and gets back at 7.30.

I only work three days a week, so I go and do all the shopping

and I'm really happy to provide for them and to cook for them,

and cook what they want.

Is that not what a mother does? A mother wants to please her family.

But Sue's working overtime to keep everybody happy.

This isn't for you. You've got your food over there.

They do eat differently. Anna's a very, very fussy eater.

Like, fajitas - before we put the spice mix in,

we take Anna's bit out,

and then we add the spice mix in cos she's so fussy about it.

Sophie will just eat when she wants to eat.

There's lots of things that the children will eat

but John would not eat.

-I'm quite simple when it comes to...

-But you don't like meat and things.

If I cook a meat dish, you don't like it.

-He comes in and he starts to gag and...

-Well, there is meat, and there is meat.

-We're not allowed mince in the house.

-That's nonsense.

You do cook mince. You continue to cook mince.

Cos the girls like spaghetti bolognese.

-The smell of mince being cooked is shocking.

-And I love shepherd's pie.

It is quite tricky, making something that they all like.

-Nice-tasting?

-Quite spicy.

That's what the guacamole and the sour cream are there for.

-So, out of ten?

-I give it an eight.

So, when John's had a meal,

he always says, "That's a six out of ten,"

-or, "That's an eight out of ten."

-But very often ten.

I think it's only been, like, a ten, like, twice. That's it.

The girls now are getting older and they...

-They think you're very cheeky.

-It might be a little bit cheeky.

To make sure she can cater for everyone's needs,

Sue's kitchen cupboards are bulging.

It's not a quick turnover drawer.

Now, THAT'S a quick turnover drawer.

Sweet treats and savoury snacks are in abundance.

You'll go to Mum and she's going into Tesco's and she'll be like,

"OK, only good stuff." And then she'll come back

and she'll have like... "Ooh, Jaffa Cakes were on offer."

Or, "Ooh, chocolate bars."

I can survive without the M&Ms. I can survive without the Whole Nut.

-But if it's there, it's very difficult to leave alone.

-Yeah.

It's so hard to eat healthy in this house.

I like to treat them. I like to have nice things,

especially when their friends come round.

I love to say, "Oh, girls, go and help yourselves."

I like that feeling of, you know,

I provide all those nice things for them.

-It's embarrassing.

-Yeah, it is embarrassing.

We're known as, like, the Ben & Jerry family.

To keep her kitchen fully stocked with brands they all love,

Sue enjoys regular visits to the shops.

I suppose I am a shopaholic.

100%, Mum's got an addiction to shopping.

I bet there's been some weeks where Mum's gone shopping every single day.

I'll go up there for a £1 packet of coriander

and I come back with £30-worth of stuff

and I don't know what's happened.

However, feeding this habit, and a household, is not cheap.

We could guess how much we spend, but we do not have a clue.

I would hazard a guess that, every week,

we're spending about £150.

I feel ashamed to say that we have no idea.

In a bid to change the family's ways,

daughter Sophie e-mailed us asking for help.

I think we just need to eat healthier,

-eat less brands.

-Yeah.

We need to eat well for less - that's what we need to do.

That's exactly what we need to do, yeah.

Don't worry, Sophie - help is on its way,

as Gregg and Chris are here to get everyone shopping and eating better.

We're filming Sue doing her weekly shop,

but she doesn't know that she's being closely watched.

I'll get the green bananas cos I've got a few at home.

So, at least they'll ripen later, won't they?

So, I'm going to get those.

The boys disappear to the back of the store,

in order to get a closer look at what's going in that trolley.

Here we go.

She's on her own. Got nobody else to please but herself.

This should go quite well.

Some black grapes.

Gala. They love Gala apples. John likes a pineapple.

I'm really pleased they're eating all that fruit.

They just implode in our house, but we must always have one.

-Are they joking?

-I don't know.

We should eat more pineapple, but we never eat more pineapple

cos nobody wants to cut the pineapple up.

"We buy a pineapple every week, but nobody eats it

"cos nobody wants to cut it up, so we throw it away.

"But if I don't have one, my husband complains."

Oh, I won't buy orange juice.

-Orange juice has got more sugar in it than Coke.

-What?!

When the kids were younger, I used to get them orange juice all the time.

I read in an article that orange juice had more sugar than Coca-Cola.

Not all orange juice.

It comes with lots of lovely vitamins and minerals, as well.

But you stick with the Coke, Sue, just to be on the safe side!

Mexican bean and chilli. How good is that?!

We might have carbonara.

That's quite a good thought, actually. I'll have carbonara.

-Sue doesn't know what meal she's going to cook.

-No.

So, she's just buying ingredients that she might be able to cook with.

Katsu curry paste.

Yeah, I'll get that one.

Actually, I might try Italian meatballs.

I'm going to get that one. It's different.

We're buying lots of cook-in sauces and rubs here now.

What do you need for this? "Tomatoes, basil..."

Yeah, I've got everything there.

If you've got, like, a range of basic flavourings at home,

-then you never need to buy one of those rubs.

-No.

Oh, hang on. I need some Nutella.

Oh, hang on. I'll get some ketchup.

Big brands. This is going to be expensive.

I have to have PG Tips. That one's my favourite.

I do get a brand because I know they like it.

To be fair, I haven't tried the non-brands.

-HE LAUGHS

-Well, why not give it a go, Sue?

I know Anna will like the Swiss rolls.

Sophie likes Bakewell slices.

John's very much into granola at the moment.

Poor Sue. She's having to remember everybody's personal preferences.

Oh, and croissants. We've got to get some croissants for the girls.

The girls like them every morning,

so until they tell me they don't want them,

then I'll probably just keep buying them until they say no.

Bless Sue. This is coming from the right place, isn't it?

But surely these conversations should be had

prior to the shopping trip.

Oh, this is quite a big aisle for me.

Ah, the sweets and snack aisle. This could be interesting.

Smooth peanut... Oh, yeah.

Anna likes Pom-Bears.

Cheddars.

Oh, my goodness!

These are on offer. Get some of these.

-Boof!

-I'll get some Maltesers.

Sue, what are you doing?!

Anna's favourite are Magic Stars.

She's just gone crazy in the confectionery aisle.

The girls will always eat them, so that's good.

That's it, then, I think.

-Right, come on.

-Blimey.

The boys have seen plenty.

Sue's about to get a sweet surprise of her own.

-HE CLEARS THROAT

-Hello, Sue.

-Hello, Sue.

-THEY LAUGH

-Oh, hello.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Lovely to meet you. How are you?

-Hello.

-Can I ask you one thing? Are you sure you've got enough biscuits, Sue?

-Yeah, I've got enough biscuits.

-We can go back and get some more.

No, I think I've got enough sweets and biscuits.

It's like they've set you some challenge, isn't it?

And you've got to come to the supermarket

and get everything that they want.

-I'm just a guessing game.

-BOTH:

-Yeah.

And I will only know when I get things out of the bag

and they go, "Oh, Mum!" Or, "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah."

Or, at the dinner table, when John gives me points out of ten.

-He scores you out of ten?

-No!

And if you don't get it right, do they get disappointed?

-Yeah, I get a low mark.

-Shall we go and get it run through?

I would have done a different shop if I'd known you were coming.

-Well, that's the point, isn't it?

-THEY LAUGH

To suss out how much Sue's spent,

the boys are taking over the nearest till.

No chance to put anything back, then?

Bit late for that!

We've got some big brands.

-Tell us about the butter, Sue.

-That's non-negotiable.

-Interesting.

-I've never got any other brand.

It would just seem wrong, not putting that on our bread.

-Would you know if we changed it?

-I would know, yeah.

-You would know?

-Ooh!

-I would know. No, I would know.

-Let it be noted for the record.

-I would know.

Look, my husband knows if you change M&Ms.

-Into what?

-THEY LAUGH

Poor Sue! I've got to give Sue a hug and come back.

-Come here. Come here, Sue.

-HE LAUGHS

I tell you what, Sue - it's a good job you didn't buy that orange juice

cos that is packed full of sugar, isn't it?

Cos you read that thing that time, didn't you?

-About sugar in orange juice?

-SHE LAUGHS

It's very bad for you.

-And it's packed, isn't it, that orange juice?

-Packed!

-Packed full of sugar.

-Those cheeky little oranges!

Right, do you know what it is you've spent today?

No, but it was a big shop. It was a big shop.

I'm thinking probably £110.

-And that's not your only shop, is it?

-No.

-No.

-Well, you haven't spent £110, actually.

-Oh, good. Good.

You spent 163.

Right, OK. Well, it's more than I thought it was going to be.

But I have got quite a few meals there, haven't I?

You've got a chicken Mexican, and a meatball.

That's £80 a dinner. You could probably eat in a Michelin-starred restaurant cheaper than that.

I don't actually think this issue is yours.

I think it might be one of your family's.

-Or three of my family's.

-Yeah.

Yeah, I think everyone's got to lend a hand in this.

-I think we should go home and have a chat with your old man, shall we?

-I think we should.

I do buy things that I know that the children and John would like,

and it's very orientated around them.

It's made me really think about what I had there.

I think you should have a Gregg and Chris at the end of every checkout!

This family is clearly overspending on food,

so while Sue's bringing her bags home,

Gregg and Chris want to get a closer look in the Prestwich kitchen.

Nice kitchen. Wow!

Those are all spices.

If Sue has got all those,

why is she buying ready rubs and ready-made sauces?

Look at this. We bought some of these today, but this is all...

-Crying out loud!

-..seasonings, flavourings, marinades, rubs.

Crikey!

But there's more food stashed away.

-You all right in there, Chris?

-You are not going to believe this.

Absolutely full.

-Not every drawer?

-Every single drawer.

-HE LAUGHS

-Mate!

-Mate! It's a sweet trolley.

-This is a sweet trolley.

-Take it away before I eat it.

-I'll put it back.

-Why did you go backwards?

-Beep, beep!

THEY LAUGH

It's time for Sue and John to come face-to-face with their spending.

-Wow!

-So, what do you think of it all laid out like this?

I feel quite ashamed, actually, now that I'm looking at this.

Doesn't seem to be a great deal of vegetables.

-They're here, look.

-Well...

-HE LAUGHS

There's a potato under there somewhere.

No, there's apples and...

But if you look at the quantity of sugary snacks...

But they were on offer. The M&Ms were on offer.

That's why I got three. I would never have had three packets,

-would I, in the house?

-That's the M&Ms. What about everything else?

I'm not talking about the price here.

I'm talking about the balance of the family diet.

-Yeah.

-It is bad.

Did Sophie think you might have shopping issues or eating issues?

Well, I didn't feel then I had shopping issues. I do now.

But the girls recognise that they need to be a bit healthier.

That's my principal motivation - it is the health factor.

We had a quick look round your cupboards.

You've got an amazing, quality array of spices and flavourings.

-Yes.

-Despite having all those spices,

you're now buying a large quantity of ready-made sauces and rubs.

What happened?

I think part of it might be to do with the lack of time.

If we could just have one meal a night,

if I could just do one meal...

But you're incredibly fussy, aren't you?

So, you don't like certain things,

and the girls don't like certain things,

so I just end up doing two meals.

If you're short of time, nothing's going to take up more time

-than cooking two dinners a night.

-Yeah.

Do you have any idea what it is you're spending every week,

in the supermarket?

Are we are assuming this is a typical one-week shop?

Well, no, this wouldn't be a week, would it?

Cos I'd have to go back and do a bit more shopping.

We've totted it up, and in the supermarket,

you're spending, on average, every week,

£200.

Goodness me.

Gosh! Yes.

But that's not all they're spending.

Your food bill right now - supermarkets, top-up shops,

lunches, coffees - is coming, on average, out at

£13,300 a year.

-That is frightening.

-At over £250 a week,

that's three times the national average for a family of four.

That's an enormous amount of money.

Yeah. Goodness me.

The financial impact of this is colossal.

You said it was a health issue. You're quite right.

And monetary issues were secondary or even...

-It's become the prime now.

-THEY LAUGH

-Ready for the change?

-100%.

It's going to take all four of you, OK, to make this work.

-Great. Yeah, we're on.

-Thank you, Gregg.

-Are we up for this?

-Yes. Thank you, Chris.

Great. Thank you.

One of the most positive days I've ever had in my life.

-Whoa!

-Very, very... No, very, very positive.

-Gosh.

It's exposed an issue which I didn't believe existed beforehand,

that being the financial side of it.

It's going to be a brand-new way of eating, of planning, of shopping.

Yeah, we're going to do it.

Gregg and Chris need to come up with a plan

to get the family eating better

and stop them throwing away their hard-earned cash.

-These are a nice family, aren't they?

-They are.

But they've got some shopping issues.

AND I think they're all blaming it on Mum,

which I think is really unfair.

I don't think this is entirely Sue's fault.

No, definitely not.

I think one of the main problems is this family aren't working together.

And I think if we can get them all deciding and determining

what meals it is they want to eat

and then Sue going out and buying those things,

I think that's the key to success with this family.

I tell you what I'd like to tackle, is the bit that intrigues me -

Sue and her reliance on convenience and ready meals.

-Mm.

-Because I believe Sue cooks.

Well, I think part of that problem is the fact that

she's having to cook two meals.

I think what happens then is she doesn't have a great deal of time,

so then she has to start relying on convenience.

I think, somewhere along the way, Sue has lost a bit of confidence.

-Yeah.

-So, I'm going to try a bit of cooking with Sue.

I'd really like to get Sophie and her sister in the kitchen

and show them that there's such a wide range of different meals

that they can make, that don't have to come out of a packet,

and I think that would help really inspire them.

Because they're spending so much, I reckon we could save them

-£100 a week.

-£100 a week?!

They're probably doing £100 a week on snacks!

I'm going to go for 80 quid. What do I win?

You can have my shirt.

What, and watch you walk about with your vest on?

-Yeah.

-No, it's all right. You keep it.

While the family were out,

we've been in and de-branded their kitchen.

-Oh, my God!

-Oh! Ooh!

We've replaced most of their usual branded food

with cheaper or healthier alternatives.

It's really minimalist.

It looks like something out of the war, doesn't it?

Some, they'll like, and some, they won't.

No Lurpak! That's it.

-But there's butter. We can try it.

-We're going to be healthy, kids.

-We are going to be surfing in Cornwall.

-Just what you wanted, Sophie! We're going to be healthy!

-Whoa!

-Oh!

Some items haven't been switched...

Oh, no. The couscous isn't in packaging.

I think we're going to struggle with this. This is looking a bit bland.

..to see if the family really can taste

which of their usual branded products...

-Oh, my gosh!

-Oh, no.

..but what's here will hopefully last a whole week.

-Are you ready for this, guys? Ready?

-Wish I'd bought a new deepfreeze. Oh!

-Oh!

-Ooh!

Pizza looks a bit rubbish.

I think, actually, there's going to be some interesting challenges.

It's going to be exciting. Let's do it.

The family's swap week has begun...

Girls, breakfast!

..and Sue and Sophie are kicking off with a brew...

-You're excited, then?

-Just as excited?

-I'm excited, yeah.

..but is it their favourite tea?

I'm going to smell it first.

-Ooh, it smells...

-Oh, God! I can't remember what it smelt like!

At least after years of drinking the same brand,

you'll know it by taste, Sue.

-I'm going to say it's not PG.

-OK.

It tastes good and I could definitely drink it,

but it just doesn't pack that punch at the end.

This is a swap for a supermarket own-brand

that could save them over £2.80 a box.

It mustn't be that bad. I've finished it.

For breakfast, we're keeping it simple...

You open it, have a good look.

..toast, but is this their usual brand of bread?

Ooh! Dad'll like that. A nice wholemeal.

Looks nice.

This supermarket own-brand is 40p cheaper than their top-end loaf,

and as they buy three a week, could save them over £60 a year.

It smells gorgeous.

Here we go.

But what about Sue's beloved butter?

It doesn't taste any different to what I have every morning.

-Tastes the same.

-Tastes the same, doesn't it?

Wow! I just thought I'd know.

So did we, Sue.

We have swapped it, but this alternative spread

could save the family £1.35 per tub.

Wow! Yeah, I like that. That's good.

Astonishingly, last year,

us Brits bought 95 million tonnes of spreadable butter.

So, we've come to an urban activity centre in Bristol

to find out what these free jumpers expect from their spread.

What makes a great butter for me is how spreadable it is.

I like to look at the colour of the butter when buying it,

to make sure it's nice and yellow.

We've brought along five different varieties,

to find out which one goes down the best.

First up, the big brand at 65p per 100g.

Our most expensive option at 72p.

Another well-known brand at 55p.

A supermarket own-brand at 38p.

And our budget supermarket butter at 35p.

Time to find out which side they like their bread buttered.

First up, the most expensive.

-Very salty.

-It is pretty salty.

It's quite creamy and smooth, though, isn't it?

I don't think I'd buy that.

Next, the supermarket own-brand, which is almost half the price.

It feels nicer but it doesn't have as much flavour, I don't reckon.

Yeah, I don't like it. I like the last one more.

I'll finish it off, though.

Mm, interesting.

What about this top brand?

It's more oily than the last one.

I can feel it sliding out of my hands.

This one's just a complete no-go.

Now for the cheapest of the bunch.

-No, I don't like it.

-That one tastes less like butter.

This is not good. I'm going to pop this back.

Finally, the market leader.

Yeah, my favourite.

Mm, this could overtake my favourite.

I think this is the nicest out of all of them.

Our free jumpers aren't butter-fingered

when it comes to picking a top spread.

And the winner is...

-Lurpak!

-No way!

-Whoa!

Big-brand Lurpak was their number one,

the most expensive came in second,

whilst third was the cheapest spread,

leaving the next cheapest

and the other brand of butter

in joint fourth.

Not really that surprised. Lurpak was my favourite beforehand.

It was definitely the best out of all of them.

So, when it comes to spreadable butter,

these free jumpers are prepared to pay the price.

In Surrey, the Prestwiches' swaps are underway.

They will probably know this one.

The girls love a drop of squash,

but will they like the one we've given them?

Thank you very much. Thank you.

It smells...

That's changed.

-100%.

-Yeah, that's changed.

-It's too sweet.

-It's too...

That's disgusting.

That's a pity, as this squash is 50% larger than their usual brand

and 50p cheaper.

-No, I'd rather drink water.

-Yeah.

-Definitely not?

-Not even going to drink the rest of it?

-BOTH:

-No.

-I've got a whole bottle in there!

-THEY LAUGH

Now it's Sue's turn.

As a child, I would look at the adverts and think,

"I would love to drink Ribena."

Now I'm an adult, I always have it.

So, will she know if this is her usual childhood favourite?

SHE LAUGHS

Oh! I'm 100% sure that's not it.

But I do like it!

-Result! She's right.

-I do like it!

We've swapped it for a supermarket own-brand

that could save her £1 and contains 50% less sugar.

When John gets home, he enjoys a stout.

Seems to look like Guinness.

Smells like Guinness.

But is it, John?

-Tastes like Guinness.

-Are you sure?

Definitely, yeah. Money on it.

-It's not.

-Very nice.

In fact, John, this stout is £1.50 cheaper per four-pack.

Prestwich Friday nights are pizza night for the girls

before their drama club, and tonight is no different.

I don't normally buy frozen. I normally just buy the chilled.

It looks fine. It's just a Margherita pizza.

OK, maybe the pizza IS different.

The plate's small, but I've done you a salad, as well.

Smells good.

This frozen pizza is a whopping £3.71 cheaper

than their branded fresh one.

It's not our normal pizza, definitely,

but let's give it a try.

That's the spirit, girls.

That is nice. It is nice, isn't it?

-You do? You like that?

-Different type of base. Like...

-And it's more tomatoey.

-More crispy.

I just always assumed that you wouldn't eat any other pizza,

and now I find out that, actually, you like that one.

Amazing, as they enjoy four pizzas a week.

That's a potential annual saving of nearly 800 quid.

Sue's cupboards are packed,

so Gregg and Chris have come to find out from dietician Hala El-Shafie

how to streamline them.

So, what are the essentials that we should have in our store cupboard?

Well, there's quite a few, but essential are tinned tomatoes.

A great basis to lots of different recipes.

Pulses, nuts, stock cubes.

Dry goods like pasta and rice.

That means that you've always got the ability to make a meal.

I think most people don't even know what it is they've got...

-Exactly.

-..lurking at the back of the cupboard.

-Exactly.

So, first thing - just get it all out of that cupboard.

Have a look at what's in-date, what's not in-date.

Chuck all of that out.

And if there is stuff in-date,

but you know that you don't use it, give it to a food bank.

What about half-opened packets? Is there any tips on storage?

The best thing to do is to actually decant those

into a bigger container.

An airtight container's essential.

-Everybody's got loads of spices.

-Spices.

So, again, I love these little jars.

But label them up.

Put dried herbs and spices in jars,

to display at the front of your cupboard,

so you can see when they need replacing.

Cumin and coriander seeds. Fabulous.

Also found in most store cupboards - half-used bottles of oil.

So, whilst it's great to have lots of different types of oils,

we do really need to look at the amount of oil that we're using.

And spray oils are fantastic.

They're generally quite expensive to buy,

but there's nothing to say you can't just decant.

Do you know what? To be fair,

I would have never considered doing this.

-You wouldn't have thought about it?

-I feel a bit foolish now.

-Well, there you go. You know now.

-That's just brilliant!

-These are nice things here.

-Yeah.

You just need them sensibly arrayed in your cupboard,

so it doesn't look like a tonne of mess.

-And so that you don't forget about it.

-Forget about what?

SHE CHUCKLES

Gregg knows Sue has plenty of dried herbs and spices in her kitchen

and he's determined to get her to ditch

the ready-made seasonings and sauces.

Sue can most certainly cook,

and her kitchen is stacked full of quality ingredients.

Well, I want to give her her confidence back.

I want her to regain her cookery mojo,

and make use of all those expensive spices she's got in her cupboard.

He wants to teach Sue three simple fish marinades

that don't require a packet mix.

And I've got everything you need in this bag -

a lime, a lemon...

..and some chilli powder.

Everything else we need, is already in your kitchen.

-Oh.

-SHE LAUGHS

Get your spice tray out for me, please, could you?

-How long have you had them here?

-Some of them, quite a while.

This is 2002.

-I know!

-What year was your youngest daughter born?

-2003.

-You've had this longer than you've had your daughter.

Oh, my Lord!

First on the list is a simple lemon and rosemary marinade.

Have you got dried rosemary?

Oh, my gosh! Have I got...?

Yes, I've got so much dried rosemary.

This easy marinade consists of the zest of a lemon...

Mm, gorgeous.

..mixed with a little rapeseed oil and dried rosemary.

-Look at that.

-I feel like I'm cooking.

That was our lemon and rosemary.

Now we are going to do a Mexican.

For this one, they use two limes.

-Am I doing well?

-Yeah.

-Is it good?

To this, they add a little oil, ground cumin,

coriander and a pinch of chilli.

-This is very easy, isn't it?

-Very easy, yes.

Why have you been buying all those packet rubs?

Now you've been teaching me this, I honestly don't know.

I don't think I am teaching you. I think you already know.

I think I'm reminding you.

-Let's have a smell of that.

-Gorgeous.

-That's fantastic.

OK, now we are going to make an Indian one.

This final marinade uses garam masala and turmeric.

Whoa!

-That's powerful, isn't it?

-Not half.

Then they mix it with plain yoghurt.

-Isn't that beautiful?

-It smells good.

The fish needs 20 minutes in the fridge to absorb the spices.

We did three marinades, flavourings, I think, in under ten minutes.

-They will cook in 15.

-That's fantastic.

-Maximum.

If Sue can stop buying her pre-mixed spice packets,

she could save £130 a year.

-Do you know how long this took us?

-You're going to love this.

Took us about ten minutes, this did.

Three simple options for Sue to satisfy all her fussy eaters.

I've got an Italian one,

we've got an Indian one, and a Mexican Juan.

THEY LAUGH

-For Juan.

-For Juan.

Right, come on, come on.

-They smell...

-This piece has got my name on it.

-And these are so easy to make.

-That is really good.

My favourite's the rosemary and lemon.

That one's my favourite, as well - the lemon one.

Your mum's a really good cook.

Quite why she's been buying packets of herbs and spices ready-made,

I've no idea. This may be the end of your two-meal-a-night kitchen.

It will be.

-I'm telling you, it will be.

-Great. Bring it on.

Cooking with Gregg has been great today.

He's given me the confidence to use spices,

and I can't wait now to utilise them in so many different ways.

That was wonderful because Sue can cook.

She knows how to cook. She enjoys cooking.

She's got more ingredients than you can shake a stick at.

She cooked three bits of fish with different flavourings,

and every member of the family loved every single one.

It couldn't have gone better.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Never had this before!

In Surrey, Sue's supermarket ban is holding firm,

and she's working with ingredients she's got rather than buying more.

She's now even trying new things on the family.

They're always saying, "Let's have something different," so here we go.

Let's see what they think of it.

Breakfast crumpets with berries, honey and yoghurt

is a healthier alternative to their usual croissant

and chocolate spread.

Nice, crispy bottom.

These own-brand crumpets are 47p cheaper than their normal ones,

and the berries and yoghurt certainly more nutritious

than chocolate spread.

It just looks so healthy and so inviting.

But will the family agree?

Breakfast!

-It's very nice, actually.

-Mm, really nice.

I think it's really nice.

We could have this any day of the week.

However, it's a step too far for Anna.

I'm not completely taken by it.

-I like the honey.

-You like the honey.

-The honey sweetens it up.

But we are talking 13 years of Nutella.

Sue's realising that pleasing her family

isn't about buying and feeding them whatever they want,

and tonight, she's cooking one meal for everyone from scratch.

That's an expensive piece of beef.

I would say that'd probably be about £25 from a butcher's shop.

It's not THAT much, Sue.

This topside beef is from a butcher's, but at £18,

only £3 more than a similar-sized joint from her supermarket.

That smells really, really lovely.

And if she prefers it,

she might decide to pay that little bit more in future.

I've relied too much on short cuts.

And, actually, then you become a bit...

I don't want to say a lazy cook, but a less confident cook.

And this... This is lovely. This is a lovely way to cook.

Sue's making a one-pot roast, so the veg go in with the beef...

Just says pack it around.

..followed by rosemary...

Really, really beautiful.

..and beef stock.

Smells gorgeous already. That can only get better.

And two hours later...

I can't wait to have a look at this.

..Sue's one-pot roast is ready.

Wow. Look at that.

That's a meal, and it smells divine.

I've used ingredients that I wouldn't use normally.

It's healthy.

But will this be a winner dinner?

Look at that!

They're all eating it, even Anna.

Mm, really nice.

I would say that this sauce is tastier

-than the normal gravy that we have.

-Wow!

-This is excellent.

Really very, very tasty.

-I like it.

-I'll take that.

I like the vegetables. They are nice.

-I do like it. It's very, very tasty.

-It is incredibly tasty.

And I would be really happy to cook this

every Sunday in various forms because this is...

It tastes beautiful.

Now that's a great result.

Sue relies on jars of pasta sauce for convenience,

but Gregg and Chris are hoping Hala has a simple speedy pasta dish

that she can create from her store cupboard.

The recipe that I'm going to do today is a pantry pasta.

And, actually, all of these ingredients,

you can find in your pantry.

And what's even better is it comes in at under three quid.

-Feeding how many?

-This is actually feeding a family of four.

-Is it quick and easy?

-It's really quick and easy.

-In fact...

-So easy, Chris could do it?

So easy, both of you could do it.

While the pasta simmers, they can crack on with the sauce.

This is great, Hala, isn't it?

-So many people rely on pre-bought...

-Yeah.

-..pasta sauces.

There's absolutely no need, actually. And, in fact,

this is much more cost-effective to make it yourself,

and it doesn't take any time all.

Garlic, anchovies and olive oil form the sauce base.

-It's a lovely smell.

-Mm.

So, I'm going to add about a teaspoon of chilli in here.

Because we're making it from scratch,

we can actually adapt these ingredients.

So, if you don't have all of these,

you can use what you've got in your cupboards, basically.

-A good way of using up the dried herbs.

-Exactly.

A good way of using up tinned veg.

Next, they add in a tin of tomatoes, olives and capers.

We don't need any additional salt in this dish.

It's got enough salt in there.

They use a little of the pasta water to loosen the sauce,

then add in the cooked pasta.

This is quicker than ordering a takeaway.

And you know exactly what's gone in it.

Costing just £2.29 for four people,

it's great value, but how does it taste?

That's really lovely. Full of flavour.

You've got a nice level of heat in there.

Sweet from the tomatoes. You've got saltiness in the olives.

Little bit of zing from the capers. And you've got that chilli heat.

-Yeah.

-That's a wonderful thing.

In Surrey, it's not just Sue who goes for the packet options.

-Do you want lemon and mint?

-Yeah.

Sophie and Anna often make themselves

ready-seasoned couscous for lunch.

Chris wants to inspire them to get more creative in the kitchen.

I'm really hoping that I can show Sophie and Anna

that premade packets isn't their only option.

And I want to show them that cooking from scratch can be quick,

easy and convenient.

Chris has brought a range of alternative grains

and cereals with him.

There's quinoa, bulgur wheat, pearl barley,

and the girls' usual couscous.

He's also brought a wide selection of other ingredients.

-Wow!

-Whoa!

-What do you think?

-That looks amazing!

Yeah, so colourful. Like, fresh.

-It's all so healthy.

-Mm.

So, if you'd like to just try them,

and then we can decide which one that you want to prepare.

Couscous is cooked in boiling water in a matter of minutes,

whereas it takes 20 minutes for bulgur wheat.

Quinoa requires a 15-minute simmer.

-I like that. That's, like, different.

-Yeah?

It's different than couscous, yeah.

It's a bit, like, out of our safety zone. I quite like that.

Pearl barley takes 40 minutes of gentle simmering.

-It's a bit chewy.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-OK. So, if you'd like to pick one.

I'll pick the quinoa.

-And I pick this one.

-You've gone with the quinoa

-and you've gone with the bulgur wheat, is that right?

-Yeah.

-So, what shall I have?

-Pearl barley.

The grains have their own texture,

but add a variety of fruit, vegetables and herbs,

they can be transformed into an exciting meal.

All we need to do now is just chop it up, chuck it in a bowl,

mix it up, and then we're going to make a dressing.

It's literally as simple as that.

I'm going to use some pomegranate, pepper,

-and sugar snap.

-Yeah.

One of the most important things I would say is variation.

OK, I'm going to go for some spinach, celery,

and then I think I might try some feta, as well.

Because you want all of these flavours to run through the dish,

chop them up as finely as possible.

So, that way, every sort of mouthful you're getting,

you're getting a little bit of all the different ingredients.

Already, this looks so much better than our school lunches.

Like, so... This is so good.

-Are you surprised at how simple it is?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

All that's needed to finish this dish is a dressing.

Sophie's gone for something spicy, including chillies, honey and limes,

while Anna's gone for a classic French-style dressing.

But there's no end to the combinations

you could try in a dish like this.

Time to taste, and Sue and John have joined the party.

-That is gorgeous.

-That's so nice.

Beautifully fresh. Very, very refreshing.

Great one for the summer.

That went amazingly well.

Both those girls embraced making something different,

really wanted to try something different.

-I definitely think we'll get more involved in cooking...

-Mm-hm. Yeah.

..and have more ideas for our packed lunch, as well.

No more premade couscous packets. Brilliant!

The girls are getting more involved in the kitchen,

and today, they're treating John and Sue to a light lunch.

-Ooh!

-They look nice.

-They look very nice.

They look very good sausages.

They're making sausage rolls, but using filo pastry -

a healthier option than traditional pastry.

I think that took us about seven minutes.

-Yeah, ten minutes maximum.

-Easy.

It was so easy. A lot easier than I thought.

-So...

-Yeah.

-Perfect. Could be a regular thing.

After 25 minutes in the oven, they're ready to serve.

These home-made sausage rolls are lower in saturated fat

and represent another £3.30 saving on Sue's usual choice.

-It's crispy. It's fresh.

-I like those. I like those a lot.

They are very, very nice. They are a definite hit.

Time to test the ketchup.

The ketchup...

-I love the ketchup.

-The ketchup's great, isn't it?

-..is really good.

-Really tasty, really tomatoey.

-It's very, very...

-..pure.

-Is this the same tomato sauce, do you think?

-Or is it different?

-Different, but better.

Yeah, I say different, but better.

Better is good, as this supermarket own-brand

is lower in sugar and salt

and over £1 cheaper than their usual brand.

To reduce their enormous £13,000 annual food spend,

the family are working together.

And with her new cooking confidence, Sue's trying another new recipe.

Oh, chive butter!

So, it's a sort of variation on chicken Kiev.

Wow! That'll be really, really nice.

Usually, Sue buys ready-made Kievs,

but cooks something else for Anna, who doesn't like garlic.

So, cover in flour, cover in egg.

After stuffing the breasts with chive butter,

Sue rolls each one in flour, egg and breadcrumbs.

I can't wait to tell them that I've made these.

Wow!

15 minutes later, the Kievs are cooked,

but will they tickle everyone's taste buds?

Look at that.

If this is a success, this means no more trips to Tesco's

just for chicken Kievs.

Excellent. Well done.

But do they all like it?

First up, health-conscious Sophie.

It's not as oily. Normally, it's, like, swamped in oil

and it's really, like...

Sometimes, it can be, like, over-garlicky,

but it's just the right amount.

That's one down. John?

It is very tasty.

Finally, Anna, who usually wouldn't eat chicken Kievs.

I quite like this, yeah.

Could this be Sue's first full marks?

100%, we'd give this a ten.

I'd give it a ten, for sure.

-Yeah, same.

-Absolutely fabulous. Really good.

-Thank you very much.

-Amazing.

-You're welcome.

-Thank you.

And costing just £6.32, it's an impressive saving of over £9,

compared to their usual shop-bought Kiev meal.

That was the result that I was hoping for.

I wanted a meal that everybody would eat,

that was nutritious, and I got it.

Everyone ate it and I got a ten out of ten from everybody.

It's a win-win.

Now for their favourite family dessert.

This is so nice.

It's got very large pieces of cookie dough.

A massive piece of chocolate. Massive.

-I would choose this any day.

-Would you?

-That's seriously nice.

A switch to this supermarket own-brand would save them £1.50,

and as they eat two tubs a week, that's an annual saving of £156.

The Prestwich family aren't the only ones who enjoy their ice cream.

Last year, 337 million litres were sold in the UK.

But how do ice creams differ?

We all love a treat from time to time,

and ice cream is up there with one of my favourites.

But are all ice creams equal?

I've come to Aberdeen to find out.

Chris has travelled to Scotland

to dairy ice cream producers Mackie's...

COWS MOO

..for the inside scoop.

-How many cows have you got here?

-We've got about 300 milking cows.

We've managed to build the herd up

so we've got a mixture of different varieties of cows,

and that gives us a really good quality of milk for our ice cream.

-What's this?

-Now, this is a milking robot.

When they feel uncomfortable, when they want to get milked,

they just roam up to the robot and get attached and they're milked.

They also get fed when they're in there, so, average,

they're going in about three times,

but some of them like to go in five times.

However, if they go in too many times,

the robot will just say, "Get out."

-So, it's all automated, is it?

-Oh, absolutely.

-And it's so much nicer for the cow.

-That's brilliant.

Each cow produces between ten and 30 litres of milk a day,

that's pumped straight into the ice cream dairy.

Once we've got that white stuff,

it comes here, goes into these big tanks.

We then add some skimmed milk powder, whipping cream.

We add some sugar. We add some eggs.

We mix it up in these big tanks.

And how much ice cream are you making here?

In a year, we make about 10 million litres.

After a thorough churn,

the mixture is then ready for the fun stuff to begin.

It smells amazing in here.

Well, this is where we create lots of different flavours.

We can add in various different sauces, salted caramels.

The flavoured ice cream mixture is then frozen quickly

to create small ice particles, giving it a smooth texture.

So, you've brought the temperature right down,

you've added all the different flavours - is that it?

-Is it ready to go to the shops then?

-Well, not quite.

Then it goes into our storage freezer

and we keep it there for about three days

before it's ready to go off in its lorries,

off to various different supermarkets.

So, what's the difference between the various ice creams

you can buy in supermarkets?

We're a nation of ice cream lovers,

but other than lots of different flavours,

-ice cream's ice cream, isn't it?

-Absolutely not, no.

There's two very distinct different types of ice creams on the market.

There's dairy ice cream, which must be made with dairy products.

It must be made with milk and cream.

And then there's something out there that's just called ice cream.

And, actually, that can be made with any type of fat

that's out there on the market.

It can be made with coconut oil, vegetable oil, palm oil...

What, no dairy products at all?

It can have no dairy products. Absolutely.

But it's still allowed to be called ice cream?

Yeah, but if you do state dairy on the pack,

then it must be made with a dairy product.

To see if Chris can spot the difference

between dairy and non-dairy ice cream,

Kirsten's challenged him to a taste test.

Mm.

Yeah, that tastes as I would expect.

Vanilla, yeah.

Mm.

Yeah, I'm going to say the one on my right is the dairy ice cream,

and you can really taste that creaminess.

-Am I right?

-You are 100% right. Very good.

-Fantastic.

We've all got our favourite brands and flavours of ice cream

for the occasional treat, but what's been really interesting today

is finding out that some ice cream

has absolutely no dairy in it whatsoever,

which just really reiterates the point -

always check the label so you know exactly what you're paying for.

The family are slowly changing,

none more so than Sue, who's gone supermarket cold turkey.

Smells as good as it did yesterday.

Today, she's rustling up lunch for her and Sophie,

using her slow-cooked beef leftovers.

I don't know what it is, I'm tasting food now.

I appreciate food more.

I'm not seeing it as a chore,

but actually as something to be enjoyed.

I never think of myself as a cook.

I just think of myself really as an opener of packets.

This week has given me more confidence to be a better cook

and to use the things that I bought to be a good cook but I never have.

This is gorgeous.

While Sue's stir-frying, Sophie's taking charge of couscous.

This smells so good. It's, like, really spicy.

It's very fresh.

OK, Sophie, it's nearly ready.

Throw the spoon. That's it. Let's go.

Smells divine.

They're using lettuce leaves instead of bread to keep the dish low-carb.

I would normally have put this in white bread,

lashings of horseradish sauce, wouldn't I?

Tomato ketchup. Maybe a couple of chips or crisps on the side.

Whereas this is so healthy.

Brilliant. Let's go. Shall we? Let's go and eat this.

This quick-fix lunch has cost £3 in total.

That couscous is lovely. I love that. We'll do that again.

-It's another home-made hit.

-I'm in.

Very good.

And it's not just the meals that could save them money.

-They look a lot smaller.

-But do you like them, Anna?

No. 100%, they're not Weetabix.

I'm afraid they are your regular brand, Anna.

How about your cereal, Sophie?

Mm. Those are exactly the same.

Wrong again. We've switched this cereal for an own-brand

that's over £2.40 cheaper.

Sue won't mistake her tuna and mayo though, surely.

Yeah, it looks like my regular tuna. That's great.

It's not! This switched one is nearly 50p a tin cheaper.

I've never had any other mayonnaise. Never.

So, she'll definitely get this one, then.

I will know if this is different.

I will just know if this is different.

Mm, it's the same. That's nice.

And if that's not the same, then I'm really happy to eat that.

It's not the same, Sue,

but this swapped mayo could be nearly £2 saved.

John and Sue both like to treat themselves in the evening

to some chocolate.

Is it Cadbury's Whole Nut?

That's what you always ask for, as a treat.

I would say yes, in terms of taste.

What do you think, Sue?

# Je t'aime... #

-Sue?

-# Je t'aime... #

-Sue!

-# Oui, je t'aime... #

-RECORD SCRATCHES, MUSIC STOPS

-There's no difference.

-I'm afraid there is.

We've swapped your favourite chocolate bar

for one that's 75p cheaper.

-Shall we have another bit, just to try?

-No.

The swap week is over and Gregg and Chris are back

to find out how the family have got on.

I don't want to be a prophet of doom.

They all seemed very keen to get stuck in, but did they?

Yes, well, that's the million-dollar question, isn't it?

Did they actually put their money where their mouth is?

I suppose the biggest thing that can go wrong is that

the family haven't all taken part and they've still left it to Mum.

We may have found that all trying to eat the same meal together

may have been too big a hurdle for them to get over.

What did you say you could save them?

I went really bullish and said £80.

You went completely left-field,

tried to top that, and claimed you could save them 100!

I think I must have had a bit of a rush of blood to the head.

-Are you regretting that £100?

-Do you know what? I don't know, because they were spending so much.

If the family have all embraced this change and all pulled together -

that's the key - then I think the savings would have been big.

And I think, actually, that might not make

my £100 savings seem so ludicrous.

There's only one way to find out whether it's worked.

-You ready?

-Yeah.

-It's raining. Have you got your coat?

I've got mine. Have you got yours?

We've got to be careful with the elderly

-out in the wet, haven't we?

-GREGG LAUGHS

We're very excited to discover what we've been eating

cos we liked the swaps and we'd like to continue with those swaps,

and, actually, how much is it going to save us?

Well, you won't have to wait long to find out, Sue.

-Hello, hello.

-Come in!

-How are you?

-CHRIS:

-I'm very well. So, how have you enjoyed this week?

It's been interesting. It's been alarming.

-It's been fun.

-It's been great.

What was alarming? The financial bit.

That we were actually out of control with our spending on food.

-Eating more healthily?

-100%.

I feel more confident. Even just what Gregg said -

about that I am a cook and I just needed somebody to tell me

that, actually, I am a cook and I can do that.

It gave me a lot of confidence.

How have you got on all trying to eat the same meal?

You're better. You're more accepting now.

The fact it's been so easy has made us think,

"Why on earth has it taken this to make us do it?"

How have you managed not going to the shop so often?

So, I don't go for a little wander in the shop,

and be tempted by anything.

I just go in for what I want and then I come out.

-And have you missed it?

-Do you know, I haven't,

cos I've had more time for everything else. Yeah.

-Dog walking.

-I know, it seems simple...

-It does.

-..but, yeah, it's been really weird.

How about the actual process of not seeing any brands?

It's been fine. I just...

We realised how brand-driven we were.

-So, would you like to see what you've been eating?

-Love to, yes.

-Yeah.

-Sue, butter.

-Yes.

-That was one of the brands you said you had to have...

-Yes.

-..and you would know if it had been swapped.

-Yes.

It tastes the same. Wow! I just thought I'd know!

-Well, did we swap it?

-No, I don't think you did.

Have a look at what you've been using.

-Ooh!

-And you couldn't tell the difference?

-No.

-It tasted exactly the same.

Look at the price difference.

Oh, gosh! Wow.

-Shall we keep this?

-Yeah, definitely.

That's an annual saving of £35.

In fact, all the breakfast items we swapped...

Your daily bread.

Three loaves a week, £1.20 a week,

-comes to £62 a year in bread.

-Oh, my God!

-That's a lot, isn't it?

..amount to over £320 worth of savings a year.

-That's a no-brainer, right?

-That's a win-win.

And how did the family get on eating your chicken Kievs?

Oh, God, they were fabulous! Did you see? They were amazing.

They were probably one of the biggest successes of the week.

-They were fantastic.

-They were really good.

We gave Sue a kilo of chicken breasts -

enough for the chicken Kievs and another meal.

I think this is incredible.

The two meals saves...

-HE WHISTLES

-Wow!

-Oh, that's a lot.

I just don't think a cook like you

should be buying ready-made anything.

-Pizza?

-Everyone really enjoyed it.

100% swapped it.

-We did, in fact, swap it...

-Crikey!

-..for that.

-Yes. I would never have considered that.

-Gosh!

-Goodness me!

-Is that per pizza?

-Yeah.

-No!

Yes. Four pizzas a week is a saving of nearly £800 a year.

Not only is it vastly cheaper, but there's less fat and less salt.

Fantastic. And the girls preferred it.

They actually preferred it to the other one.

-JOHN:

-Yeah, definitely.

Sophie and Anna were using five packets of premade couscous a week

until Chris showed them how to make it themselves.

-This is the equivalent of eight of the sachets you used to buy.

-Wow!

Crikey!

-JOHN:

-Goodness me!

-That's obscene.

So, are we keeping this?

-JOHN:

-Yeah.

-100%.

Brand loyalty does not seem to be paying off.

-Ketchup.

-We've always bought the same brand.

-And how was the one we gave you?

-We know it was different,

and the girls liked it more.

-Blimey.

-It's not the same, is it?

-SHE LAUGHS

-Well done. We had swapped it.

And not only that, it has less salt and less sugar.

That's brilliant. Well, that's definitely a keeper, then. Yeah.

-Ice cream. Now, you're a family that loves their ice cream.

-Yeah.

-Did you think it was the same?

-I think it was the same.

-The girls, what did they think?

-Loved it.

-I've got my theory.

-Go on, mate.

-Home-made.

Wow. You really liked it, didn't you?

No! Really?!

-Goodness me!

-I would never buy that!

Do you know, I reckon you go through at least two of these a week.

-Probably, yeah.

-Right? Do you know that's a saving of £156 a year?

Oh, for goodness' sake!

THEY LAUGH

Despite the odd no-swap...

I wouldn't have those. I wouldn't.

..Sue and John opt for an amazing 87% of our switched items.

We'll definitely have that, then,

if we're going to save some money on it cos it just tastes the same.

With the boys' help, have they made a dent

in their enormous £250 weekly spend?

We've managed to save you £80.47 a week,

which, over the course of a year, is just over £4,184.

So, we've saved you a third off your shopping bill.

That's fantastic. I really like that.

-Yeah, brilliant. Excellent.

-That's really good.

I hope that this is just the start of it. I really do.

John, Sue, what are you going to do with the savings?

-Definitely a holiday.

-Yeah, definitely.

Go somewhere very glamorous, leave the kids behind.

-Sue and I are going to chase the sun.

-Quite right, too!

At least when you leave the kids,

they'll know how to cook more and it'll be healthier.

Brilliant. Well done. You really embraced it.

-Thank you so much.

-Well done.

-Well done, Chef!

-Thank you.

The biggest eye-opener of all

was the £4,000-plus that we can potentially save per annum.

We eat so much healthier. We eat for less.

-We have more variation.

-Yeah.

Our eating habits are just so much better.

Success, do you think?

-They're sitting and eating together as a family...

-Yeah.

..Sue looks a lot happier,

the kids are eating healthier, and we've saved money.

-What was the bet?

-I don't think we need to go into that, do we?

I mean, it doesn't matter. It's not about the bet.

-The fact is we managed to...

-It matters!

Do you know why it matters? It's the first one I've ever won!

You said 100. We didn't manage that.

-I said 80. We saved them 81. Excuse me a minute.

-Go on.

We're shopping less and saving money,

and we've had a great experience of a week.

I think it's just been fantastic.

-Champion! Champion!

-Congratulations.

-I'm not gloating.

No, no! Enjoy it. Enjoy it.

-Next time...

-Ready?

..a small family with big food bills...