Episode 7 Eat Well for Less?

Holy guacamole!

Gregg Wallace and Chris Bavin are back, and more determined than ever...

-Look at this!

-Whoa!

She's just gone crazy in the confectionery aisle.

..to help families rein in their spending.

-We've been watching everything.

-No!

-Oh, my God.

-This is a really funny way of shopping.

They're taking over kitchens.

-Whoa!

-Oh, my word!

It's 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.

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.

This week, we're with Gabrielle and her daughter Zeeza.

How come you always take me food shopping if you don't like food shopping?

It's like Groundhog Day, isn't it?

A dislike of supermarkets means daily shops in the local garage.

My mum gets anxious about shopping.

But I just don't know why.

And a lack of kitchen confidence is resulting in quick-fix meals.

This is my version, it works, and quick as can be.

The unique shopping and food rituals have the bills spiralling into thousands.

This may be the most expensive way ever of buying your food.

This is Gregg and Chris's biggest challenge yet.

-This is a cry for help.

-We can see it is.

We're in Buckinghamshire...

Ready?

..with a small family who find themselves with big bills at the checkout -

mum Gabrielle and ten-year-old Zeeza.

-Did you just cross your eyes?

-I did indeed.

-No, that's awful.

THEY LAUGH

It is a really happy home.

My mum is calm, patient,

lovely.

OK.

Gorgeous and hard-working.

GABRIELLE LAUGHS

That's amazing.

What lovely things to say.

Wow!

SHE RINGS BELL

Right, my lovelies, ready to start!

Single mum Gabrielle runs a large dance academy.

Mink Alia, are you here, my darling?

-Yes, Gabrielle.

-Good girl.

Excellent.

Dance has always been Gabrielle's passion.

And at 16, she left home to go to the prestigious Royal Ballet School.

I think I was one of 15 that got accepted.

Yeah, quite proud of that.

Now she runs her dance school full-time.

Build it up now!

It's not a 9-5 job.

But it doesn't seem like work.

And I love it.

Amazing! Amazing.

Well done.

Gabrielle may be doing her dream job,

but there's one area of daily life that's become a nightmare.

My mum doesn't like food shopping.

If someone said to me,

"Would you rather go to a supermarket and shop or pull out all your fingernails?"

-I would say, "Hand me the pliers!

-SHE LAUGHS

I can feel myself now going, "I haven't got a clue where to start."

It overwhelms me, it's like this big tornado.

I just can't bear it.

OK.

My mum likes going to the smaller supermarkets,

because it's two rows and then you're done.

Gabrielle takes ad-hoc trips to express stores to avoid the big shops.

But it's not just once or twice a week,

it's two or three times a day, for every single meal.

After my mum picks me up from school, we go straight to the shops.

-What do you want for dinner?

-Don't know.

Salmon?

Beef?

Are you joking me?

But the multiple car trips aren't the only problem.

It's cooking as well.

Gabrielle just doesn't like it.

This is quick, convenient, easy, and that's why I do it.

Looking at a recipe and just it being like reading Russian literature to me,

it's just like "Pow, pow, pow," in my head.

I can't really explain it.

So it's regular takeaways...

Can you pass me the prawns?

..and pre-prepared short cut meals eaten on the sofa.

Do you like my delicious food that I cook?

Yes, cooking and shopping are both big problems.

In fact, when Gabrielle's dad David visits,

he has to bring his own food with him.

-Hello, Grandad.

-Hello.

Cooking, to Gabrielle, is not a priority.

I think primarily it's to do with being a dancer.

You just kind of grab what gets you through a show.

We're not big eaters.

Gabrielle's dad has been delivering her meals for the last 30 years.

Ooh, yum!

I think Mum and Dad bring food parcels for their own survival!

-Grandad, you do the best bacon.

-Thank you.

Gabrielle's resistance to shopping and cooking, however,

means she's spending a fortune.

I don't think she budgets very well.

A lot of her purchases are probably impulse buys.

It's £54.46!

After ten years shopping at least once a day,

Gabrielle is desperate to make a change.

I have hit a real wall.

I want Chris and Gregg to come in and help me with food and shopping and cooking.

And here they are, our dynamic duo.

Something a bit different today.

-No supermarket, but I've got some of the young lady's shopping habits on this.

-Oh!

Because of the unusual way Gabrielle shops,

we've rigged her car with cameras to get a closer look at how and what she is buying.

While she is out, the boys are going to watch the footage from her house.

-Right, shall we have a look at this?

-Yeah!

We've got to go shopping. Sorry, sweetheart.

-OK.

-Yeah?

-OK.

-I haven't got anything in.

-Sorry, lovely.

-It's all right.

Hang on, how do you run out of food?

-What do you fancy?

-I don't know.

-Pasta?

-No.

-Rice?

-No.

-Jacket potato?

-No.

Salmon wrapped in Parma ham?

No, we had that the other day.

It seems like hard work, doesn't it?

Ready?

Hold on, hold on.

They've not only run out of food, they've run out of petrol.

-They're not doing their shopping here, surely?

-At the petrol station? Are they?

They are.

They did.

-Is that it?

-Oh, is that what they've bought for dinner?

So, she got lemon sole goujons, but what are they having with that?

-They've bought nothing to have with it.

-Chocolate.

Another day, another school run.

-What do you want for dinner?

-I don't know.

-Oh, no!

-Oh, blimey. Here we go again.

What about your favourite?

We're just watching exactly the same conversation as we had yesterday.

Just different outfits.

Ready, steady, Eddie? Let's go.

I'm getting the distinct expression

that Gabrielle is going to the petrol station every time she needs a meal.

There is a lot of snacks.

They are buying pre-made, pre-chopped,

convenience foods and no real cooking.

This may be the most expensive way ever of buying your food.

Once again, Gabrielle's hitting the shops and this time, she's on her own.

And our cameras mean Gregg and Chris don't miss a thing.

OK, so this is different.

She's not shopping in the garage,

but she is still shopping in a small convenience store.

Nice big piece of steak!

That could be the first thing she's bought that requires any cooking.

I love the look of things like this.

It's grazing, it's snacking.

I'm not sure Gabrielle likes cooking.

I think anything like this is a hoax, I think we're being conned.

No herbs and no spices, because they're not real?

Gabrielle not only shops differently to anyone else I've ever met,

she also eats differently.

This is a shopping mountain to climb.

-Chris, I think we have just met our Eat Well For Less Everest.

-Yes!

While Gabrielle makes her way back to her house,

Gregg and Chris have hidden in her garden.

-No, no, no, you'll toss me over.

-CHRIS LAUGHS

And she has no idea they'll be waiting for her.

Do you want a hand with that?

-Hello.

-Oh, my gosh!

-How are you?

-Hello.

Pleased to meet you.

We've been hiding. Can we have a look at this?

-This is another big shop you have done?

-Oh, my gosh!

I would have cleaned my kitchen floors if I knew you were coming.

-We'd only have muddied them anyway.

-GABRIELLE LAUGHS

Gabrielle knows she shops every day,

but Gregg and Chris want her to see what she is buying each week

and how much those separate trips are costing her.

Oh, my gosh!

This is what you buy in a week.

-What do you think?

-Realistically it's a lot of snacky stuff, isn't it?

It looks like an incredible picnic.

But in terms of meals, I'm struggling to see any meals.

There is a lot of snacking, but I do provide a meal at night-time,

but it's not necessarily a great one.

You don't go to a big supermarket, you don't do a big shop, do you?

I can only cope with shopping and cooking and planning that meal.

Would you want Zeeza to shop and cook like you do?

No. She's nearly 11 and I don't want her to have

the same attitude to food and cooking.

What would you like to change?

That food and cooking and recipes aren't creating this turmoil in my head,

which it truthfully is.

And to save money would be incredible.

Have you any idea what the average spend per week is for one adult,

one child?

-Between £200 and £300 a week?

-SHE LAUGHS

-Seriously. Have a go.

-No. 140.

In fact, with alcohol, it's £48.50.

SHE LAUGHS

Oh, my gosh!

We've got some of your receipts here.

And this came to just over £200 a week.

All of your many different shops is coming to just under 10.5 grand a year.

Oh!

It's one of the biggest overspends Chris and Gregg have ever seen.

And the bad news doesn't stop there.

You're also shopping every day.

Seven days a week.

Regularly, twice a day.

-Yeah.

-Sometimes, three times a day.

Gabrielle doesn't keep track of her spending, often paying in cash.

And on top of her receipts,

she is spending another £150,

bringing her weekly spend to £350.

That's just over 18 grand a year.

It's absolutely shocking.

I think we are going to have to overhaul everything.

You are going to so love this when we start this.

I really, really hope so.

Because this is a cry for help.

-We can see it is.

-Let's put the fun back in food, shall we?

-And let's put some money back in your purse.

-Yeah.

CHRIS LAUGHS

I feel like I'm in a right mess, actually.

And that's why I think I'm a challenge.

Which we love.

Mate, we have got our work cut out.

Every time she needs a meal, she goes to the shops.

Yeah. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, multiple trips to the shop every single day.

I would like to do some cooking with Gabrielle.

All right, I would. And make it fun.

OK, so if you can reignite her love for food, I'll tackle the planning.

I think my task is relatively easy here.

Your one is really tricky.

I think there is a genuine fear, isn't there?

She's built this up as a big thing in her mind.

It's a big challenge, but if you get it right, the savings are enormous!

-Life-changing.

-Life-changing.

It's a king's ransom.

OK, lots of different problems.

How much can we save her?

I honestly think we can halve it.

I honestly think we can split her shopping bill in half,

save £100 a week.

-You're going £100?

-You going to go more than that?

-You are, aren't you?

-Oh!

Yeah. Let's do it. Let's do it, £150 a week.

-Really?

-There you go, I said it.

-I'd love to see it.

To kick the new regime into action,

we've given Gabrielle and Zeeza's kitchen a makeover.

Oh! What are they?

Oh, someone has gone and got me herbs, haven't they?

Their usual weekly, or daily shopping in this case,

has been replaced with other brands.

Oh, Mum, and you've got your horseradish.

Still got chocolate biscuits.

And we've disguised them, so there's no telling if it's their usual brand or not.

They've got your chocolate spread.

Plain packaging, though.

Oh, no.

She's traumatised by that.

Most of the swapped food is a cheaper alternative.

Wow! My sauces have been cordoned off.

Lol, you're going to have a hard time, aren't you?

But to really test their taste buds,

some items haven't been swapped at all.

They look different to your normal brand.

I can only tell by tasting.

And some foods are entirely new to the family.

I can see the word "herbs".

I know there's herbs in there.

But rewiring the way Gabrielle sees and buys her food isn't going to be easy.

Oh, my gosh!

Look at that bag of spinach, that's huge!

Cooking is high on Gregg and Chris's agenda,

so the girls may have to brace themselves for some new experiences.

-What is that?

-Haven't got a clue.

Right, on the count of three, just say whatever comes into your head.

Ready? One, two...

-Papaya.

-Mango.

It's the next morning and Gabrielle has been given all the ingredients

and instructions to make a new breakfast.

She's cooking today, but usually it starts with a chocolate bar and a trip to pick up a muffin

from the local garage.

I enjoy it so much. I am never going to stop doing that.

We'll see.

Oats, 175g.

Oats are a good sauce of dietary fibre and should keep her full until lunchtime.

Right, both seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.

It's the seeds that make me go...

"Oh, God, that's healthy,"

and put me off, but then I suppose it gives it substance, doesn't it?

It does. Because seeds and nuts are rich in protein, healthy,

unsaturated fats and antioxidants.

Apricots, whoa.

But so far the jury's out.

That's my kind of recipe.

Done, done, done.

Our dancer is a stickler for a routine.

So whilst the bars cook through,

we're going to test out another of her morning rituals - coffee.

I have a latte daily at 10.30 in the morning.

But is it her brand or not?

I'm confident I know the brand that I use.

I would say it's not my brand, but it's a good replacement.

Well, that is good news,

because we've swapped your coffee

for one that's £1.88 cheaper than your usual.

But what about those breakfast bars?

Look at that!

I think a lot of things for me are about replacing the muffin,

because that's an extra trip to the garage that I don't need to do.

Fingers crossed this hits the mark, then.

I'm not lying to you, that is good.

It's a brilliant response!

Zeeza, come try.

But what will Zeeza think of Mum's cooking?

That's really good.

That's really good, isn't it?

I feel like I could eat that first thing in the morning.

I love that.

It's a hit! The blueberry muffin costs Gabrielle £1.65 a day,

but these bars cost just 33p.

That's an annual saving of over 340 quid.

Gabrielle isn't the only one reaching for a sugar hit

when she's out and about.

Last year, we spent an estimated £640 million on sweet baked goods.

But whilst they taste great,

they can be pricey and calorific.

So for muffin lovers everywhere, is there an alternative?

Chris and Gregg have come to see dietician Hala El-Shafie to find out.

Gabrielle buys a takeaway muffin almost every day.

So can you find us a healthier, cheaper alternative,

that people could make a home?

I have indeed. What I've got is a lemon and poppy seed muffin recipe.

It's really simple to make.

I would like the zest and the juice of two lemons.

To keep mess minimal, Chris is in charge of the wet ingredients,

and Hala is going to combine the dry ones.

So my flour goes in.

I'm using plain flour.

Some oats, which means you're going to stay fuller for longer.

Complex carbs like oats release energy slowly.

Hala's version also has less sugar.

Two teaspoons of poppy seeds.

Poppy seeds are great cos they add a bit of crunch and texture.

Two teaspoons of baking powder.

So that's the dry ingredients.

Over to Chris.

I've done the lemons.

Two eggs in there.

Chris adds some low-fat yoghurt and sunflower oil.

-All of this?

-Yep. And if you can give that a really good mix.

Yeah, brilliant, I think it's done.

OK. Pour the wet ingredients into my bowl here.

This bowl should complete these 12 cases.

-Chris will do it for you.

-I'll do it for you, no problem.

So we're doing two tablespoons into each of the cases.

The lemon juice keeps the muffins moist,

but you could leave out the poppy seeds, if you're not a fan.

That's nice and simple, isn't it? A nice, simple recipe.

Bake the muffins at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

They look good!

Look really good! Go on, crown it.

Ta-da!

-What do you think?

-That is a fine mound of good-looking muffins.

They smell wonderful as well, don't they?

And with under half the fat and sugar of the ones

Gabrielle usually buys, they're a really good swap.

Mmm.

-I think that's fantastic.

-So what did these cost?

These are 18p each.

-No way!

-18, 1-8?

Nice, light, fluffy.

-Lots of flavour.

-And blinking good value.

I haven't heard blinking for ages!

Back in Buckinghamshire,

the experiment to change the way Gabrielle cooks and shops

is in full swing.

But we're about to put this family's taste buds to the test.

I've tried a couple of brands of tea over the years.

It's the first thing I drink at 7.15,

and it's the only cup of tea I drink all day, but I savour it.

I love it.

OK, tea coming up, courtesy of Gabrielle's dad, David.

-Tea, my lady.

-Hey, Pops.

But is it your usual?

Yeah, 100%,

that's not the normal tea that I use.

100%, are you sure?

It's all right. It's got a completely different flavour.

This is slightly perfumed, I think.

Yeah, I got that as well.

Interesting strong reaction there.

It's really different.

I almost feel like I know what brand that is.

I feel like it's one that I've checked out before.

That would be because it IS your brand,

we haven't swapped anything about it.

One thing Gabrielle does cook are pancakes with chocolate spread,

Zeeza's favourite.

They're so good.

So the stakes are very high,

but we've swapped the spread for a cheaper one.

Will either of them notice?

I've never tried a different chocolate spread.

I'm very much, if it's not broken, don't fix it.

That might be where some of that £350 a week is going.

I actually prefer that consistency.

This brand is lower in sugar than the usual,

but does it pass the Zeeza test?

Here you are, lovely. One chocolate pancake.

If Zeeza likes this, it could mean a saving of £100 a year.

What do you think?

Tastes more nutty.

Interesting.

-But it's quite good.

-Phew!

Maybe Zeeza will also like the squash we've given her.

Oh!

-Mm.

-I really like that.

Do you know the difference for me is I can't drink

that stuff that you get that's in the carton, but I can drink that.

I think it's a swap.

We have swapped it - for a no-added-sugar squash.

And while it's 20p more expensive, it will last much longer,

containing four times as many servings.

So we think it's a swap?

-But we like it.

-Yes.

It's a thumbs up for the swapped squash.

What about Gabrielle's peanut butter?

The appearance is different straightaway.

So I'm going to say that's not my one that I use,

which is a leading brand.

Spot on. We've swapped it.

And at £1.90 cheaper, it could be a saving of £98 a year.

Oh, I really like that.

That in my head has been made by some farmer's wife

in a big oak kitchen.

Well, actually, it's a supermarket's own brand,

with nearly 80% less sugar and 24% less salt than your brand.

This is amazing, isn't it?

I've spent 30 years shopping, never trying anything different.

And you're like, oh!

There's actually stuff that's better out there.

There are a dazzling array of offerings when it comes to

nut and seed butter. And in the UK, we love them.

We're spending almost £95 million a year on it -

over 20% on the market leader.

So what makes a tasty paste?

We've asked this energetic bunch

from a martial arts club to find out.

Biggest consideration when choosing peanut butter has to be the taste.

-I think it's about balancing the cost.

-And the taste.

-And the taste.

-Well, let's put that to the test.

This lot have worked up an appetite, and will be sampling five different

peanut butters.

The market leader at 62p per 100g.

Next is a supermarket own brand at 38p.

We've got an organic peanut butter costing £1.10.

Our luxury brand is the most expensive at £2.51.

And finally a budget own brand -

19p per 100g.

Containing nothing but peanuts, first up, the organic option.

Like chewing cement dust.

I think one's the natural one.

It's nice but quite chewy.

Maybe the budget own brand will do a little better,

containing palm oil and the least peanuts.

A lot nicer.

Yeah, it's not as dry as the last one.

Also containing just peanuts,

the most expensive luxury brand is up next.

Nice, I like it. It's good.

Compared to the first one, not as dry.

The other brand, containing palm oil, is the mid-range own brand.

This is nice.

It's too dry from me.

It's too dry for you.

I don't like the lumps.

And you don't like the lumps in it.

And last up, it's the market leader.

It's incredibly salty.

Incredibly salty, yeah.

It's the aftertaste, the salt really hits you afterwards.

I like salty.

So, which peanut butter gets full marks?

Harrods' peanut butter.

The luxury brand has come first.

But in second place, the cheapest.

Bottom of the pack, however, was the market leader.

I'm not surprised by the results.

I thought it was one of the best tasting peanut butters there was.

-I probably wouldn't pay Harrods prices, that's for sure.

-No.

So maybe it is worth shopping around for your peanut butter,

as you may find one you like that's kinder on your wallet.

Back in Buckinghamshire,

Gregg is keen to build up Gabrielle's confidence

in the kitchen,

so he's borrowed a restaurant for the afternoon.

I think if I get her cooking,

that her love for food might be regenerated.

-Hello.

-Hello!

-That's my hope.

Gregg's chosen to do a simple but delicious family favourite.

-Right.

-Under here is something you're going to be cooking with.

Reveal your ingredient.

Oh, God. It's a whole bird.

SHE CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY

For the first time ever, Gabrielle is going to cook roast chicken.

We need to rub it, and we need to put things in it.

First of all, a little oil and salt.

As if you were putting suntan lotion.

SHE LAUGHS

Next, it's lemon, garlic and the ingredient Gabrielle is most suspicious of -

fresh herbs.

Does it really make that much difference to the meat?

I think you've got to ask yourself,

with all the chefs there are in the country,

why they do it if it didn't make any difference?

-OK.

-Right, come on.

I'll open the oven. Top shelf.

Careful, it's hot.

While the chicken starts cooking, it's on to the sides.

-Crikey.

-Gabrielle regularly buys prepared potatoes.

But peeling and chopping is quick, easy and much cheaper.

Watching you prep veg and prepare that chicken, you're fine.

You've lost a connection with cooking and food, haven't you, somehow?

Yeah, I agree with you. And if Zeeza grows up the same,

then she's just basically following the same path.

Do you know the next step? If you cook,

then your daughter is likely to cook.

Yeah, and I think she needs to.

Gregg's keen to share his top tip for the perfect roast tattie.

But give these a good shake.

-Rough them up a bit.

-What does that do, then?

Gives the potatoes a rough edge and helps them to crisp up.

I love crispy potatoes.

Is that a teeny bit of enthusiasm there?

The oil's got to be hot.

They've got to sizzle when you put them in.

Gregg's using rapeseed oil,

lower in saturates than olive and sunflower oil.

Look at that.

I can smell the rosemary.

That is beautiful.

A herb-related breakthrough!

-You're going to carve the chicken.

-Right.

Chicken, knife, knife, chicken.

Gabrielle usually buys trimmed chicken breast,

which gram for gram can cost over three times more than a whole bird.

Legs off, gently. You can see where the joint is.

So am I pulling that off?

-Yeah. There you are.

-OK, OK.

Now we're going to make some gravy.

Two spoonfuls of plain flour.

Stir that around, please.

Ordinarily, Gabrielle would use gravy granules

instead of making her own.

I see what's happening here.

But this one's made from the chicken's juices

and comes free with the bird.

I can smell that already.

-It's lovely.

-Isn't that wonderful?

We are now ready to plate up.

Which is just as well, as Gabrielle's guests are here.

They've no idea that Gabrielle is in the kitchen cooking their lunch.

I'm really excited about serving it to them.

The meal comes in at around £2.75 per plate,

but what will the guests think of the mystery chef's roast chicken?

They do good roast potatoes.

-Nice.

-Mm, that's really good.

Hey.

How you doing?

I've been doing a bit of cooking, but do you want to meet the chef?

-Would you?

-By all means, yeah.

-Chef, do you want to come out?

SHE LAUGHS

Hey, lady. Yeah.

This is a surprise.

You all right?

This is good, Gabrielle.

-Thank you very much.

-Very, very well cooked.

What do you think of Mum's roast dinner?

-It's really good.

-Wow!

Oh! I'm really pleased for Gabrielle.

She actually made a proper lovely roast dinner

and her dad and her daughter scoffed the lot.

That was a huge challenge for me.

I very easily might have cried at the beginning.

I am proud of myself.

I really hope Gabrielle kicks on from here.

A Sunday roast every Sunday would be a good idea, wouldn't it?

Back at home, the changes continue, and Gabrielle is on the alert

as she tries to work out whether we've swapped

some of her best-loved products.

I'm very confident about my prosecco.

I've tasted quite a few of them in my time

and there is one brand that I really like and I stick with.

This evening, she's got backup in the form of friends Amy and Chloe.

I think Gabrielle would know if you swapped her prosecco with something.

She would pick it up straightaway.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

Oh, that's not my prosecco.

I like it. I could drink it.

I don't think it's as strong.

I prefer my one.

Well, she does know her prosecco,

as this is a supermarket own brand cava that's almost half the price.

No, I'd have to say, I wouldn't drink that again.

Beef with potatoes is one of Gabrielle and Zeeza's

favourite meals.

But Gabrielle has never actually cooked it.

Funnily enough, I've never cooked a joint of beef in the oven.

-Thank you.

-It's always the ready sliced.

The evening meal usually involves a 30-minute round trip

to a local store to pick up food.

Today, she's spending the time cooking it from scratch.

Roast beef. That sounds easy enough, doesn't it?

Herby Parmentier potatoes.

Oh, no!

I've got to make them from scratch.

Yes, you do.

The shop-bought version of this meal costs £8.30.

But the home version costs just £6.94.

And there will leftovers for other meals...

Crush the garlic. Oh, golly gosh.

..if they like it.

Six sprigs of rosemary.

Oh, that is potent.

While the beef cooks,

it's on with Zeeza's favourite - Parmentier potatoes.

It says finely chopped rosemary

and dried mixed herbs, so they've got me there.

I know Gregg and Chris are trying to

introduce me into the world of herbs and spices.

Whatever gave you that idea?

Look at that.

That looks absolutely beautiful,

if I say so myself!

That looks amazing.

And that's not the only good news.

As well as saving around £70 per year,

cooking it from scratch means less fat and less salt.

-Impressed?

-Yeah.

Cos it's the same recipe.

Yeah. Spot-on.

That's good.

The beef gets the thumbs up, but what about Zeeza's potatoes?

-They're a bit herby.

-To me, the taste is exactly the same.

I think that's beautiful.

For a family who are new to cooking and using herbs,

it's not a bad response.

Lots of us are nervous of cooking with individual herbs and spices,

but love the pungency and aromatic flavours they produce.

But instead of resorting to a ready meal or premade sauce,

dried spice mixes could offer a smart solution.

The top-selling mix in Britain is the curry mix,

but what is it?

Chris travelled to the south of France to find out.

Marseille is home to one of the biggest ports in France

and it's where Schwartz process and pack all its spices.

Wow! I think one of the first things you get is, you know, the aroma.

Yeah, it smells amazing, doesn't it?

These guys source, import and blend

raw herbs and spices for the curry mix from all over the world.

So where does this come from?

This is our ginger, all the way from Nigeria.

-Wow!

-Ground ginger is a fundamental ingredient in curry powders.

The exact curry mix recipe is a secret, but uses 11 ingredients,

including turmeric, garlic and allspice

from nine different countries.

Natural essential oils found in the spices

give them their characteristic taste and aroma.

The more essential oil, the more flavour there is,

so the quality of oil is tested in each spice.

And if it passes, it's sent to the next stage - cleaning.

So there's lots of action going on there.

Now, preparing the curry.

The final process is the all-important grind and blend.

We have 11 ingredients.

We'll enter them in the system

in a specific order from the more robust to the more fine.

They undergo three hours of grinding and blending.

I love the fact that you're adding the ingredients as if it's a recipe.

Exactly.

The bags are left for two weeks for the curry blend to develop

a balanced and stable flavour before bottling.

The entire process takes 40-60 days.

So this is the finished article.

So this is our medium curry powder,

which has been blended together from all of the spices.

So unless you're keen on balancing 11 different spices,

this is a really good way of producing a curry dish.

What about the cost?

So using your curry mix,

how much would it cost to feed a family of four?

You can make a great tasting curry

with just two tablespoons of this curry powder,

which would cost you less than about 10p.

So we've got an onion, 10p worth of curry powder,

a tin of tomatoes, which is 40 or 50p, and that's it.

You've got your curry sauce there.

Yeah. You can make curry sauce for less than 60, 70p.

From a cost perspective,

that makes so much more sense than

these jars that have not only a serious price tag

but other ingredients added in as well.

This way, you're in control of what you're adding to the dish.

That's lovely. You're getting the tomatoes and then you're getting

the layers of all the different spices underneath it.

That's absolutely fantastic.

-So thank you very much.

-It's been a pleasure.

-Brilliant.

In Buckinghamshire,

it's time for Gabrielle to address the biggest issue.

My mum gets anxious about shopping.

I just don't know why.

It's just like, you know in the movies,

when you're in that room and the walls are closing in?

As a result, she shops daily in express stores,

something Chris wants to change.

She needs to take control of this,

as opposed to this controlling her.

-Hello.

-Hi, you all right?

Chris wants to understand why Gabrielle dislikes supermarkets so much.

Truthfully, I'm worried.

Shopping and cooking is very, very negative for me.

It causes me stress.

I get anxious. I don't enjoy it.

I hate it, actually.

Wow! So you shop in the small convenience shops, don't you?

-I do.

-Why is that?

Generally, it's because they're smaller shops

and then my head's not in

that big explosive trauma that I'd get in huge supermarkets.

So I can handle just a zigzag, zigzag, done.

They're some strong words, aren't they? Trauma, explosive.

It's like looking at a black ocean

and someone saying, "Jump in and swim."

I haven't got a clue where to start.

There is nothing positive about it at all.

I actually feel quite emotional about it.

I actually feel like, yes, please, yes,

please can you teach me how to shop?

OK. Well, funny you should ask that.

-I am going to teach you how to shop.

-SHE LAUGHS

So, look, this is step one.

Planning mealtimes is crucial.

Knowing what to cook on each day will help avoid stress

and unnecessary last-minute purchases.

It looks quite easy on there.

OK, so look, this is step one. Right?

Step two is to write a list of ingredients to make the meals

that we plan to have.

Do you know, I know it sounds ridiculous,

but I'm already freaking out just looking at the board.

Would you like to hazard a guess as to what step three is?

You're going to take me to the supermarket.

Correct. Excited?

Not really, no.

Let's go. Don't forget your list.

To get Gabrielle back in the swing of shopping,

Chris is taking her to a large local supermarket.

How do you feel?

I feel like I always feel when I come into this place.

It's too huge,

it's too vast, and I'm dreading it.

So how long do you think it will take

to get all the things on this list?

With me sauntering about, that would take me an hour.

I think we can do this in about 15 minutes.

No way.

Yep, in this fledgling trip,

the aim is to shop for half the week in the same amount of time it takes

Gabrielle to select and buy one meal.

Deep breath. It's going to be OK.

And there's one golden rule.

We know we only need to get what's on this list.

Yeah, but how many do I get?

Do I get a fair trade? Do I get organic?

It's a minefield, isn't it? They're just bananas. OK?

-We've got onions on the list. Just buy one or two.

-OK.

-I'd just get a couple.

-I feel sorry for myself.

Why? You're a family of two.

We're only buying enough food for three days.

-That's fine.

-OK.

-OK?

This is a weak spot for me.

Listen, you tell me - are they on the list?

This is an exercise in planning, time management and saving money.

No, they're not on the list, Chris.

-So are we going to get them?

-No, we're not, Chris.

And Chris is trying to tackle a decade of bad habits.

This is part of the problem. When you're here and you're going,

"Oh, what else, what else looks good?"

It takes time, it costs money and I think it also plays its part

in causing this anxiousness about shopping.

The list is king. Absolutely.

I like that, the list is king!

Usually, after three days' food shopping,

Gabrielle might have spent £100-150 on food.

Ta-da! I'm fully qualified to be here.

Don't worry. 15 minutes.

We've managed to do a shop for three days, three meals a day,

in the same time it takes you to go to your convenience store for one meal.

-I feel...

-SHE EXHALES

How much do you think it costs?

I'm going to go 68. I've just plucked that out of the air.

-Look, we've managed to do a little bit better than that.

-OK.

-OK.

It came to a total of £28.50.

Oh, my gosh.

-How's that?

-Truthfully, it makes me a little bit,

-a little bit emotional.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Cos I think, oh, I've wasted so much money over the years.

-Are you OK?

-Yeah.

That knocked the wind out of me a bit, sorry.

-Oh, look, look.

-Chris's simple exercise has made a big impact.

Listen, don't worry. All right? It's all good.

It sounds ludicrous, but that 15 minutes was life-changing for me.

Give yourself a big pat on the back and give me £28.50.

-Darn it!

-THEY LAUGH

That supermarket trip was like an epiphany to me.

Well done.

£28 on three days' worth of breakfast, lunch and dinners.

I found it amazing that that could even be done.

We're halfway through the swap experiment.

By now, Gabrielle would have been to the shops an incredible nine times.

At home in Buckinghamshire, it's lunchtime

and Zeeza might munch some pre-prepared fruit

and Gabrielle normally grabs a sandwich.

But, today, they're trying something home-made.

One papaya. I know that now.

Gabrielle doesn't like fruit or herbs.

For lunch, she's going to try both in the papaya salad.

Urgh. This is like my idea of hell.

Well, if you could bring yourself to try it,

this would give you a boost of vitamins C and A.

For me to have this as lunch, it's like a restaurant, isn't it?

She adds in chilli, coriander and lime.

Added nuts give a boost of protein

and some olive oil and fish sauce for the dressing.

Oh, gosh. I don't like the smell of that.

Freshly ground black pepper.

And she has a balanced healthy salad...

Look at that. I made those.

..in under ten minutes.

So what's the verdict?

OK, that is divine.

Zeeza, come taste this.

It's got the thumbs up from Mum

and Zeeza absolutely loves fruit, so could this be a home-made winner?

So it's your fruit but in a salad.

-Hmm.

-Just try it.

Shall we cheers it?

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

That all there,

it's just stunning, and I've not said that about food

for a very long time.

And I know it's the coriander.

It's beautiful. Which means that I have to back down on my herbs!

Hallelujah, but Zeeza's not so convinced.

Next time you do it, can you not add the oil and stuff?

Do you think you would eat all of those ingredients...?

Without the oil, yes.

This, it's safe to say, is a hit.

I actually want more papaya.

We all need a daily dose of fruit and veg,

and if it isn't in a salad,

Zeeza happily munches around £30 per week of pre-prepared fruit.

Ready-to-eat is a convenient way of getting our daily intake,

but what exactly are we paying for the luxury of the instant eat?

Chris and Gregg are back with dietician Hala to find out.

So many of us are really pushed for time, and these can be really convenient.

However, there is a cost implication.

Take this mango, for example.

I mean, you'll know, Chris, being a greengrocer.

-A pound?

-But...

-£2?

-Yeah.

It's double the price to chop it up.

But how long does that actually take to do?

In the UK, we're spending over £1.3 billion

on pre-prepared fruit and veg,

but is it worth it?

You might be saving some time,

but it's certainly not a lot of time, is it?

How long do you think it would take to chop this pepper up, for example?

Well, why don't I time him?

-Yeah, do that.

-You ready?

-Just batons?

Yeah, I mean, don't go too crazy.

-OK.

-It's not Michelin starred, is it? Hang on, hang on. Go!

Oh, the pressure.

You're doing pretty well, mate.

Keep going.

-Stop the clock, stop the clock.

-No, no, no.

That one's too thick. Cut that one for me.

-Stop the clock.

-Right. That was 50 seconds.

-Less than a minute to chop that.

-Here you are, look. I've got another one.

-How about the lettuce?

-Are you going to time me?

-Yeah, go on.

Three, two, one. Go.

Roughly chopped lettuce leaf, right?

Stopping the clock, 15 seconds.

-15 seconds.

-Now, that's not me going fast.

Right, that's 60-70p.

So this bag of salad's £1.25p.

-Double the cost.

-To save you 15 seconds of cutting it up.

-How much is that one?

-This one's a pound.

Yeah, look. I've got it. Hold on. Put two bits of pepper in there.

-That's £1.

-We'll even go over the top. There we go.

Not only does Chris and Gregg's portion of salad look fresher,

but costs around 55p.

Why do people do it?

I think it's perception of saving time.

When, in actual fact, that took you seconds,

and, Chris, that took you less than a minute.

The prepared fruit and veg market is on the increase and has grown by 25%

over the last five years.

Smell that. That smells like honey.

-Smell that.

-Beautiful.

Why do you want it in a plastic tub?

In terms of nutrition,

are we sacrificing anything buying pre-prepared fruit and veg?

Well, it's negligible. Having said that,

as soon as you start to cut or peel fruit and vegetables,

the nutritional value starts to deteriorate.

And you're exposing much more of it to the air, aren't you?

Recent figures suggest on average,

a household will bin around £470 worth of food a year.

So how do we get the most out of our fresh produce?

Have you got any tips about keeping

our fresh produce fresher for longer?

The first thing I would say is with any fruit and vegetables,

don't prepare them way too far in advance.

Secondly, lemon and lime juice can help to stop that oxidisation

and discolouration.

Veggies with stalks, like asparagus, just place in water.

The same with herbs, just pop them into water.

And then stick them in the fridge, but not basil.

-Not basil.

-It doesn't like the cold.

So unless the front of your fridge is roasty-toasty,

-don't put the basil in there.

-Roasty-toasty?!

-All right?

-As well as prolonging the life of fruit and veg,

there are also tips to encourage ripening.

One of my favourite tricks, particularly with avocados,

is to stick a banana with it in a paper bag and it pretty much ripens overnight.

Because the gas from the banana ripens the avocado?

That's exactly right.

And it's not just bananas.

The softer and the sweeter the fruit, the more gas it produces.

That's a positive thing if you want it to ripen,

a negative thing if you don't.

Despite continued campaigns to eat more fruit and veg,

only 26% of us are eating the recommended daily amount.

If this does encourage people to eat more fruit and veg,

then I'm happy about that,

but I still would like people to prepare from fresh

on a more regular basis.

Back in Buckinghamshire, Gabrielle is reaching for something sweet.

I'll know if my chocolate bar's been swapped.

I'll just know it.

We've swapped her usual big brand bar

for a supermarket own.

Well, if it's not my chocolate bar, it's a blooming good match.

These are cheaper.

And as Gabrielle gets through a pack a week, she'd be saving over £59.

Easy money if she likes them!

Not all the swaps have been so successful,

starting with a home-made chocolate oat breakfast.

-I'm scared.

-I'm really scared as well.

It's a bit too rich for me.

I don't like it.

They are 100% not our usual ones.

The biscuit is a bit firmer.

I don't like it.

It's called vegetable mash up.

-Yay(!)

-So marks out of ten?

Urgh.

Now Gabrielle has been doing more cooking,

the boys want her to tackle one last issue -

Zeeza and cooking.

It's so difficult.

She wholeheartedly won't help me in the kitchen.

If I said, "Can I help you?"

She'd be, like, "Whoa, yes."

But I don't. So...

Gabrielle worries her lack of interest in food

has had a negative impact on her daughter.

Then I think, gosh, if she grows up the same,

then she's just basically following the same path.

So Gregg and Chris have a plan that should help both of them.

Oh, pizza!

This recipe is quick and uses a few cupboard staples to make

a home-made version of the takeaway favourite.

I have never made a pizza base before.

I think we all know that by now.

Well, we didn't like to assume.

Zeeza!

Oh, yay!

I thought you'd like that.

I thought we can't go wrong with that, can we?

Fingers crossed!

300g of flour...

-Ooh!

-Ooh!

-Right on.

..is combined with baking powder, seasoning, rapeseed oil...

That's such a little amount of oil, isn't it?

..and a little warm water.

And then mix and knead until it makes a dough...

Oh, yeah. It smells really good. Smells like freshly baked bread.

..and roll out onto a floured surface.

Is this something we could do regularly?

-I feel like we could.

-Yeah.

It's much more fun than just picking up the phone and ordering it.

-Yeah.

-Isn't it?

-Yeah.

The bases will need a light bake.

After three minutes...

Oh, they look so good!

..they're ready for their toppings.

Right, pour the passata.

I'm going to put herbs in mine.

Is that you converted?

You can place whatever topping you fancy on your own pizza...

We finished it. Let's dance!

..and they're ready for the final bake.

-Pizza, anyone?

-Whoa!

-That looks so...

-Oh, my gosh!

Their usual fortnightly delivery costs £15.99.

But how will this one compare on flavour?

They're amazing.

-Oh, my gosh.

-That's so good.

The base was really nice and the pepperoni was delicious.

And that was all made with my mummy.

Yeah, it's good.

These pizzas cost just £1.20 each and taste delicious.

Not bad for a few minutes' work.

I loved the experience of making it with you as well.

We'd do that again and again, wouldn't we?

I don't think it was a one-off.

If they make the swap permanent,

they could be saving over £350 a year.

-We're very fingers, aren't we?

-Mmm-hmm.

Who needs cutlery?

-Aw, the base is beautiful, isn't it?

-Yeah.

I'd say that was an all-round winner.

The experiment is over and Gregg and Chris are back in Buckinghamshire

to find out whether their master plan has worked.

So how do you feel about this?

Are you feeling confident or do you feel nervous?

The key to this working is of course Gabrielle being committed to it.

So hopefully, we've managed to save Gabrielle a considerable amount

of money, quite a lot of time,

reduced some of the stress and, hopefully,

got her back in love with food and cooking.

That would be every single box ticked.

OK, so if we just look at the money, though, what did we say we were

-going to save them?

-I said we'd save Gabrielle £100 a week.

You said £150. I'm more than happy for you to be right.

This is life-changing.

Well, shall we go and find out how they've got on?

Now the week's over, how does Gabrielle feel?

I'm hoping that I've made savings

because I don't think I could've got any worse

with how much I was spending.

It's time to find out.

So, Gabrielle, we are both very intrigued to find out how you got on

-this week.

-I've really, really learnt a lot from both of you.

What's your attitude now to food shopping?

The fact that I don't have to go three times a day is huge.

-And what about Zeeza?

-This has made such a difference in Zeeza's life.

Cos I think now what you're going to be doing is setting

-some really good examples.

-Which in reality is the most important thing.

So, would you like to see what it is you've been eating this week?

I would love to see what I've been eating this week.

Let me ask you something, cos you most certainly enjoy a cup of tea.

-Yes.

-And you really like the brand that you drink.

Actually, she's very particular about her brew.

Yeah, 100% that's not the normal tea that I use.

But she had no idea we didn't swap it.

Oh, gosh!

-That's my tea.

-Yeah, I know.

-Wow!

I'm really surprised.

But I think that should teach us all a lesson about brands.

Yeah, you're right.

That's not the only surprise we threw at her this week.

The quick-fix queen has had to get back to kitchen basics.

-Have you been cooking?

-Yes,

I've been cooking, so I've been adding herbs and spices.

-No way!

-There's no point!

-There's no point in adding them.

-They're a complete con!

Tell me about the papaya salad.

I loved it.

I loved it more than Zeeza loved it.

Would you like to see the saving?

That really surprises me.

Yearly, Gabrielle would pocket £391 just by making this one change.

-I'd swap, without a doubt.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Fantastic.

And there were more kitchen experiments

that didn't turn out half bad.

Breakfast used to involve a car journey and a shop-bought muffin.

It's almost like I'm addicted to it.

Kicking off your day, you made some breakfast bars.

Those breakfast bars were fantastic.

I loved them. Mm-hm.

That is the saving every breakfast.

No!

Can I tell you what the annual saving is?

£345.80 a year.

-That's a big amount of money.

-Yeah, and we've only just started.

-Well said!

-Wow!

-Gosh, right.

-Because Gabrielle and Zeeza opt to keep 90% of the swaps.

Yeah, we'll keep those, 100%.

The savings are mounting.

-Roast beef.

-That was quite a big change for us.

-I will keep it.

-Leftover included, that's another 70 quid in the bank.

They were awful. I wouldn't swap them, no matter what the cost.

-No.

-One thing that did seem to go down well was the home-made pizza.

It was delicious.

It was fun. We had a ball.

Would you like to hazard a guess as to how much

-that pizza cost you to make?

-£15?

£2.50.

-Would you like to see the price saving?

-Yes.

-Wow!

-So is this a swap?

Swap, without a doubt.

I don't even think we'd ever order a takeaway pizza again.

And if she sticks to that,

she'll save a whopping £354, based on having a pizza every other week.

We had such a laugh making that.

The more meals you prepare from scratch,

the better cook you're going to get

and the more you can pass on to your daughter.

Gabrielle was spending a shocking 18 grand a year on food

for the two of them but with the boys' swaps and advice,

has she slashed this super spend?

If you carried on shopping like this, you know, you will save,

I reckon between £250 and £270 a week.

That's over £1,000 a month.

-Gosh.

-Let me just put this into perspective for you.

We reckon you'd be better off by the enormous figure of £14,000 a year.

14 grand a year!

That's an incredible amount of money, isn't it?

That's like another salary coming into the house.

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

That's just astounding.

This is a colossal saving and one which could make a huge difference

to Gabrielle and Zeeza's future.

If you put that away for the next 10 years until Zeeza was 21,

you would hand her £140,000 for a deposit on her first house.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you're right.

I am literally quite emotional about it cos I'm like, "Oh, God..."

Well, without a doubt, you're hard-working,

bright and a great mum.

This is just what happens if you let this shopping get out of control.

I was in a right mess.

I was in a right pickle and I knew it.

But I didn't know how to stop doing it.

A potential saving of £14,000 a year is the biggest sum

Gregg and Chris have managed to save a family.

This has changed my life and it will continue to change my life

-so thank you very much.

-Come here, let's have a hug.

Well done, cos you have done brilliantly well.

Come here.

Wayhey!

You can hug the big lump, if you like!

Just disinfect yourself afterwards.

That's better than 14 grand, innit, right there.

Thank you very, very much.

The savings are astronomical.

This will really be a drastic change in my life.

I won't be dragging you to the convenience store...

-I know...

-..every day.

-..I'm so happy about that.

I just feel, "Ring!" I just feel amazing.

Right, well, that was amazing.

That is a life-changing amount of money.

I think she's still in shock. I think I'M still shocked by that.

That was incredible, wasn't it?

Who won the bet? I said 100,

you said, what, £150?

-Yeah.

-I don't mind.

I think it's good, you know. It's a lot of money.

We should go on holiday.

Yeah, that's nice. What do you fancy? Camping?

I don't know. Can you put the tent up?

-I'll put the tent up.

-Next time...

-Oh, my Lord!

-Whoa!

..a family whose work is taking over the kitchen...

The computer's now on the kitchen table,

it invades every area of our life.

But can Gregg and Chris get them fine-dining in...

-Yeah, that's delicious.

-..rather than spending a fortune eating out?

Come on, oh, look at the state you got in!