0:00:01 > 0:00:05Every day we face a huge number of choices
0:00:05 > 0:00:06about food.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08'Everything from what we buy...'
0:00:08 > 0:00:11'..to whether it's good for us...'
0:00:12 > 0:00:15'..and how to cook it.'
0:00:17 > 0:00:18Beautiful.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23'In this series we're going to use our expertise to help you make
0:00:23 > 0:00:27'the best food choices.' Wow.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29We want to improve your cooking...
0:00:29 > 0:00:32- Well done, girl. High five that. - Looks delicious.
0:00:32 > 0:00:33..your health...
0:00:33 > 0:00:36So even if I wash my hands, my forearms are still contaminated.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38..and your bank balance.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41So what are you getting when you spend extra money?
0:00:41 > 0:00:44'I'm scientist Alice Roberts.'
0:00:44 > 0:00:48I'll be looking at the latest research into nutrition
0:00:48 > 0:00:51to find out what's good for us and what's not.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55'I'm journalist Sean Fletcher.'
0:00:55 > 0:00:58I'll investigate which everyday products are value for money,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00and which are a rip-off.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04'And I'm chef Tom Kerridge,'
0:01:04 > 0:01:06and I'll be sharing my tricks of the trade
0:01:06 > 0:01:09that I guarantee will fire up your taste buds.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Wow, that looks great.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14'We're going to dish up the plain facts'
0:01:14 > 0:01:16so we can all enjoy our food more.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18- Cheers.- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Coming up - can just changing your surroundings
0:01:35 > 0:01:37alter how food and drink tastes?
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Who thinks that they were eating a different meat
0:01:40 > 0:01:42and a different wine in each of the different lights?
0:01:42 > 0:01:44They seemed all different to me.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49Tom shows how to give home-cooked food that restaurant-quality taste.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51This is the important part.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Do not cook it too quickly, cos otherwise all of those spices
0:01:54 > 0:01:57will burn before the piece of fish is cooked.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Sean investigates what's in the great British banger.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04There is quite a difference in the fat content.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05It is a huge difference, isn't it?
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Will that make you change your mind when you're buying sausages?
0:02:08 > 0:02:11And peanut butter. We're buying more of it than ever,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15'but is it a junk food or a health food? I'll find out.'
0:02:15 > 0:02:20About 50% by weight of the peanut is actually fat.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30First up...
0:02:30 > 0:02:33The way we taste food is incredibly complex.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35It's not just about the flavour of the food,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37it's about its colour and its texture,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41and recent research suggests that the environment we're in
0:02:41 > 0:02:44when we're eating it also affects the way the food tastes.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51If you'd like to take a seat.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57'We've invited some volunteers to take part in a unique
0:02:57 > 0:02:59'dining experience.'
0:02:59 > 0:03:02We want to test if it's possible to affect the way that food
0:03:02 > 0:03:06and drink tastes, just by changing the atmosphere that you eat it in
0:03:06 > 0:03:08and what you eat it on.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12I'd like to introduce Professor Charles Spence, who is going
0:03:12 > 0:03:15to be running this evening's proceedings.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19We're going to give our diners three similar sweet dishes.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Over the course of the evening,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23there will be three different desserts.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26We're going to give them three glasses of wine.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30What they don't know is that we'll be changing the lighting,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32the music, and the colour and shape of the plates
0:03:32 > 0:03:34that the dishes are served on.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39The wine will also be disguised in black glasses,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41so they won't even know if it's red or white.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48Then they'll be asked to rate each meal for sweetness and sourness.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51There are no right or wrong answers, just what you think.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Have an enjoyable dinner, and we'll see you in a bit.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00For the first dish, Charles is creating an environment
0:04:00 > 0:04:04that should enhance the sweetness of the food and wine.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- So Charles, you're starting off with red lighting.- That's right.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09We find that people associate different tastes with
0:04:09 > 0:04:12different colours. The majority will say red is sweet.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14And what else are you controlling at this point?
0:04:14 > 0:04:16We're also playing sweet music.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21Most people will think of, sort of, tinkling high-pitched pianos
0:04:21 > 0:04:24or windchimes as being associated with sweet tastes.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29THEY LAUGH AND CHAT
0:04:29 > 0:04:32The next dish is eaten in a different environment,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34blue lighting this time,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38with lower pitched music, which is associated with bitterness.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45We're going to serve this dessert on a square white plate.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47- So the plate shapes are important as well?- Mm-hm.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Most people will say sweet is round, whereas if they imagine
0:04:51 > 0:04:52the taste of something bitter,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55they'll pick an angular shape instead.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57LAUGHTER
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Our final environment is designed to enhance
0:05:00 > 0:05:03the taste of sourness.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05HIGH-PITCHED PIANO MUSIC I don't like this music.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07I can't tell if this music's cheerful or not.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10If you think about the association between red and sweet
0:05:10 > 0:05:13and green and sour, as fruits ripen, they tend to systematically go
0:05:13 > 0:05:16from sort of green and sour and unripe
0:05:16 > 0:05:18through red and ripe and sweeter.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21But I've also noticed that we're serving up
0:05:21 > 0:05:23the food differently as well.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26We have dessert served on a black, angular plate.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28The idea is to see whether the shape and the colour of the plate
0:05:28 > 0:05:31might bring something out in the taste.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33It doesn't taste as fishy.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40'The three dishes were very similar,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42'but how did they taste to our diners?'
0:05:44 > 0:05:45So who thinks that there was
0:05:45 > 0:05:48something different going on between each of those situations?
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Were you eating a different meat in each of the different lights?
0:05:51 > 0:05:54I felt like everything was probably different.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57It seemed all different to me.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59So some of them been tricked into thinking
0:05:59 > 0:06:01they were eating something different,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05when they weren't. And what about the wine?
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- So the wines, you thought they were different?- They certainly tasted it.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11That's true - the wines did change.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15So it wasn't so easy to confuse their taste buds there.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21But did the other changes to their dining experience have any effect?
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Which of the plates would you say was sweetest?
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I guess I'd go round, because I guess square is sharp,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- and I think that's sour. - And what about the music?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Who preferred the music under the red light?
0:06:34 > 0:06:38The first two pieces of music were quite daunting.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41It was just all in minor chords as well, which is slightly unsettling
0:06:41 > 0:06:42when you're eating food.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46You want it to be relaxing, and it's like being, "Doon, doon, doon..."
0:06:46 > 0:06:50So we changed your sense of taste by changing the music
0:06:50 > 0:06:51and changing the lighting?
0:06:53 > 0:06:56So it seems our diners' sense of taste WAS influenced
0:06:56 > 0:06:57by their environment.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00But what does this mean for the rest of us?
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Are there any real-world applications?
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Yeah, it's very exciting to see how we can change people's
0:07:07 > 0:07:10perception of taste without having to change the food itself.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12That seems to hold very important implications for, say,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14the food industry,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17where they might be able to reduce the less healthy ingredients
0:07:17 > 0:07:20in foods by enhancing the design of the food itself
0:07:20 > 0:07:23or the environment in which you're eating.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28In larger-scale experiments, this research has revealed
0:07:28 > 0:07:30some extraordinary results.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34For instance, drinks can be made to taste 10% sweeter
0:07:34 > 0:07:36simply by adding red food colouring.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41And diners will pay nearly 50% more for a bottle of wine
0:07:41 > 0:07:44when the room is lit with red lighting.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Well, the next time my children turn their nose up at their greens,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- I might think about putting... - Psychological warfare.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Yeah, putting them in a red environment
0:07:53 > 0:07:56and playing some sweet music and seeing if I can make a difference.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Cooking for friends and family can be such a pleasure,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12but sometimes even the simplest dishes don't turn out right.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Tom is on a mission to share his expertise with us
0:08:15 > 0:08:18so we can all improve our cooking skills.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24I put a shout out on social media for your kitchen fails.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27It's clear there's a lot of you struggling with dishes
0:08:27 > 0:08:30that don't always go the way you want them to.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32But don't despair, I can help.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Now, I've learnt over the years if you stick to a few simple rules
0:08:37 > 0:08:40and techniques, you won't go far wrong.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45'This time I'm on a mission to help Pete Griffiths
0:08:45 > 0:08:48'with his kitchen fail, roast potatoes.'
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Well, they don't really look very done at all.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55More oil in the tray, most definitely.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58They are quite hard. Really bland.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Just not something I would serve up to my family, to my friends.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04A few little tweaks and twists, we'll get him
0:09:04 > 0:09:05having perfect roast potatoes.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11'Pete lives in the town of Addlestone in Surrey.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15'He's an assistant head teacher but today it's going to be me
0:09:15 > 0:09:16'giving the lesson.'
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- How are you doing, Pete? - All right, Tom?- Nice to see you.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- Problem with your potatoes? - Absolutely.- Let's see if we can sort them.- Come on in.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29'Pete's going to show me how he normally cooks his roast potatoes
0:09:29 > 0:09:32'so I can see where he's going wrong.'
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- Just start peeling.- OK. Everyone knows how to peel a potato.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41I'm terrified you're going to lose a finger,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43and you're losing quite a lot of potato there as well.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- It's quite thick, that, isn't it?- It is, yeah.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- No wonder I go through so many. - Yeah!
0:09:51 > 0:09:54So now I'm going to fill up the pan with water from the boiled kettle
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- and then put them straight on the hob.- And how long for?
0:09:57 > 0:09:59About seven minutes normally.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00Seven minutes boiling,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02or seven minutes from now?
0:10:02 > 0:10:04- Seven minutes from now.- Right. OK.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08And straight into the roasting tray.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10A bit of olive oil over the top.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- A bit of salt.- And that's the first time that you've seasoned them?
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Yeah, first time.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Then I normally give them a bit of a shake, then straight into the oven.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21- And then how long will they sit in there for?- About 45 minutes.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23All right.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30There's not much colour on them.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33They're just lacking seasoning and flavour.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- But I know how we can make these better.- Great.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41The secret to good roasties has a lot to do with
0:10:41 > 0:10:43the kind of potato you use.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47I've got a Maris Piper here the same as yours.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50What you're looking for the perfect roast potato is that balance
0:10:50 > 0:10:53between starch and sugar, and Maris Piper is right in the middle.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59The sugar helps to give the potato colour,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03while the starch delivers that lovely fluffiness on the inside.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08Now peeling it with a peeler rather than a knife makes a big difference,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11just for the fact that you're going to lose as much potato as you did,
0:11:11 > 0:11:16and also that you manage to keep your fingers attached to your hand.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19There you go, chief. You can do the next one. Brilliant.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24Heat up a pan of water
0:11:24 > 0:11:27and add a good tablespoon of salt to season the potatoes.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31So now we're going to gently poach them, not boil them.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33What's the difference between poaching and boiling?
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Poaching means that you're cooking them a little bit slower,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39and boiling means that there's a lot of movement going on
0:11:39 > 0:11:42in the pan, and that's going to break the potatoes up too rapidly.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45This is going to take about 20-25 minutes
0:11:45 > 0:11:48until they're cooked all the way through.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50At this point you're going to need a slotted spoon,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54so that allows the water to drip out. Stick a skewer in.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56You can tell that the potato's cooked all way through,
0:11:56 > 0:11:58that's the important part.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00And this is my top tip.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03I'm going to leave it on a cake rack to dry.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07All those cracks, those are the bits that are going to go crispy
0:12:07 > 0:12:10and absorb the oil when we roast them.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12You want to put a big glug of oil in there.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15So this isn't duck fat or goose fat, or even really good olive oil.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18- This is plain vegetable oil. - Why do you use this oil?
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Because it's very easy to get crispy. It's flavourless as well,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25so straightaway it allows the potato to speak for itself
0:12:25 > 0:12:27rather than adding another flavour to it.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31'And here's another top tip. Get the oil really hot
0:12:31 > 0:12:33'before adding the spuds.'
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Straight away, look, you can see them cooking.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38They're frying, they're crisping up.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40But those potatoes won't absorb that oil,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42they'll just fry in it and go nice and crispy.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46OK, Peter, let's stick them in the oven. 200C.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49They're going to cook for about 45 minutes.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51We'll give them a little turn a couple of times halfway through,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54nice and gently, just to make sure they get coated In oil.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Beautiful roast potatoes, they are going to be, my friend.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Let's give them a twist around, that's it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12- There we go. Look at those.- Wow. - Happy?- Yeah, very.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- There's yours from earlier. - Wow, look at the difference.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19OK, then, Pete, do you want to have a little try of one?
0:13:23 > 0:13:24Wow. That is amazing.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26- Happy?- Very happy.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Crispy on the outside, nice and soft in the middle?
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Yeah, that's perfect.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34You can get help from me
0:13:34 > 0:13:41by sharing your kitchen fails on social media using:
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Do cans of whipped cream contain laughing gas?
0:13:52 > 0:13:54LAUGHTER
0:13:54 > 0:13:56The answer is true -
0:13:56 > 0:14:00cans of whipped cream contain nitrous oxide, otherwise known
0:14:00 > 0:14:04as laughing gas, which stops the cream from going rancid.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Many of us have recently been moving away from traditional brands
0:14:16 > 0:14:18towards the supermarkets' own-label alternatives.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22They range from basic through to standard and premium varieties.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25But what exactly is the difference between the ranges?
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Is expensive always better?
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Well, we've been teasing apart some of the ingredients
0:14:30 > 0:14:32in everyday foods to find out.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45'With the help of nutrition and food science experts at Queen Margaret
0:14:45 > 0:14:46'University in Edinburgh,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49'I'm going to dissect the great British banger.'
0:14:53 > 0:14:57In some supermarkets a pack of budget sausages
0:14:57 > 0:15:00can be £2.40 cheaper than premium.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01So what's the difference?
0:15:03 > 0:15:06To help me pull apart the ingredients is nutritionist
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Dr Carrie Ruxton.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13The budget sausages have got lots of ingredients,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16but so have the standard, and also the premium.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18So what are you getting when you spend extra money?
0:15:18 > 0:15:20- Meat.- Yeah, there's a lot more in there.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Exactly, there's a lot of meat.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24So the range of meat here,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28the budget category is round about 43-72%,
0:15:28 > 0:15:33and with the premium you're getting more like 85-97% meat,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35so a lot more meat.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42To be called a pork sausage, legally it must contain more than 42% meat,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45so some of the budget bangers only just scrape through.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Cheaper varieties contain fillers like wheat flour and rusk.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Although sausages might not be the healthiest things you can buy,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58these added ingredients do make budget sausages low in fat,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01but also low in other things, such as protein.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05There is quite a difference in the fat content,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08so that's round about 10g per 100g for fat.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Go up to the premium and you're talking about round about
0:16:11 > 0:16:1220g per 100g,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- So you know, quite a difference. - It is a huge difference, isn't it?
0:16:17 > 0:16:22And some standard sausages can be as high as 22g of fat per 100g,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25so it's always worth checking the label.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27I don't know what this is.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Oh, maybe I'm getting a bit more of an idea.
0:16:29 > 0:16:30- Yes, that's the casings.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33And here's another difference between the three price bands.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37On the premium you've got natural casings made from intestine,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39now that would be the traditional way to make sausages.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43And over here we've got casings that are made from protein or collagen,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46which is basically made by boiling down animal skins.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48And they're cheaper for manufacturers to use
0:16:48 > 0:16:50because they're easier to handle.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53And those are the ones that are in the standard and budget sausages?
0:16:53 > 0:16:54Yes, that's right.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Collagen casings are tougher than natural casings
0:16:59 > 0:17:02and can be harder to bite through.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Natural casings are tender.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07However, they do have a tendency to split more easily.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Now we know what's in them, it's time to put
0:17:15 > 0:17:19our sausages to the test with the help of some volunteers.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Who eats budget sausages?
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Mm... So who eats standard sausages here? OK.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Jane, do you eat premium sausages?
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- Yes, I do, yes.- So why would you choose a premium sausage?
0:17:32 > 0:17:38I find premium sausages have other ingredients such as apple or chilli
0:17:38 > 0:17:40and things like that.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42I like a wee extra kick in my sausage.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Let's see if our volunteers change their minds
0:17:46 > 0:17:48after they've tasted them.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51They're going to try 12 different sausages
0:17:51 > 0:17:53from a variety of supermarkets,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56ranging from budget and standard to premium.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Dr Laura Withers makes sure they have no idea
0:18:00 > 0:18:02which kind they're eating.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07They'll score each sample on a scale of 1 to 9,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11with one being extremely "dislike", and nine being extremely "like".
0:18:28 > 0:18:31So, which sausages did our volunteers prefer?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36The most preferred one was actually the premium sausage,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38which scored 5.7 out of a possible nine.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Followed by the standard, which scored 5.3,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and then finally the budget, which was 4.4.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Premium was the clear winner,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51followed by standard,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53with budget lagging well behind.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57It's not really surprising when you think there's
0:18:57 > 0:18:59- so much more meat in the premium sausage.- Exactly.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01We like our sausages meaty.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03The budget sausage is between 60p and 90p,
0:19:03 > 0:19:07the standard sausage is between £1.20 and about £1.50,
0:19:07 > 0:19:12and the premium sausage is between £2.50 and £3.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14So that's around five times more you're paying
0:19:14 > 0:19:17for the premium sausage than you are the budget sausage.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Will that make you change your mind when you're buying sausages?
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Well, I initially would normally buy the premium,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27but now that I know about the fat content and the high calories... LAUGHTER
0:19:27 > 0:19:30- ..I think I might change my mind.- Stuart?
0:19:30 > 0:19:34I would still go for the premium on the basis it has more meat.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37OK, so while many of us are trying to save on our shopping bill,
0:19:37 > 0:19:39we're not prepared to skimp on our sausages.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42The nicest-tasting sausages are the ones with the most meat in them,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45and those are premium ones. And we're prepared to pay the price.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55While manufacturers struggle to sell their products
0:19:55 > 0:20:00in a cut-throat market, there's one food we can't get enough of.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04We spent over £60 million on the stuff in 2015,
0:20:04 > 0:20:08with sales up a massive 12% on the previous year.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Peanut butter is one of those foods that you may be in two minds about.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15After all, it's on the shelves in the supermarket
0:20:15 > 0:20:19next to chocolate spread and jam, definite indulgences.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21But it's not so clear when it comes to peanut butter,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24so is it junk food or a health food?
0:20:28 > 0:20:32'We've come to Bristol armed with a range of supermarket foods.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36'We want to know where people think the peanut butter belongs,
0:20:36 > 0:20:37'with the health foods,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39'or the junk foods.'
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Avocados going in the health food...
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Blueberries going in the health food...
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Chocolate bar, straight in the junk.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Peanut butter, junk...
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Blueberries, superfood, right?
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Peanut butter, junk food, chocolate and crisps.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- I've got that in my head as an insanely sugary thing.- Yeah.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05So you would have been trying to stick it in there? Yeah.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Why did you put that in the junk food?
0:21:07 > 0:21:09- If it's just peanuts, yeah, health food.- OK.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13But that looks like quite a cheap one, so yeah, junk food.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19'There seems to be a lot of confusion
0:21:19 > 0:21:24'about peanut butter's health credentials.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27'I've come to meet dietician and nutritionist Dr Sue Baic.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35'The best way to find out what's in peanut butter is to make some.'
0:21:35 > 0:21:36Oh, I've lost one.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38'We start with peanuts,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41'then all that's needed is oil and salt.'
0:21:42 > 0:21:44- So literally smash it up?- Yep.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52It takes 10 minutes of constant mixing before our peanut butter
0:21:52 > 0:21:54is finally ready.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Let's have a look.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03How many calories do you think would be in that?
0:22:04 > 0:22:06- Ooh, I don't know. 150? - It's less than that.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10It's about 100 for most peanut butters in a tablespoon.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14And that's the equivalent to about four squares of chocolate.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17'That still sounds like a lot of calories to me.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19'So where are they coming from?'
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Shall we have a look at a peanut under the microscope?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25The dark black is oil, or the fat, inside the peanut.
0:22:25 > 0:22:31So it's about 50% by weight of the peanut is actually oil or fat,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33which translates when you have peanut butter,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35to about 50% of peanut butter is fat.
0:22:35 > 0:22:41But the type of fat in the peanut is the good type, the unsaturated fats.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45So peanut butter may contain a lot of fat, but it's unsaturated.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49And a small amount of unsaturated fat in your diet can help
0:22:49 > 0:22:52to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56The difference between peanut butter and chocolate is that peanut butter
0:22:56 > 0:22:59is not what we would call empty calories.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02It's got things like vitamin E, B vitamins, folic acid.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07It's got some really useful minerals like zinc and magnesium and copper.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09It's a real nutrient powerhouse, peanut butter.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14'It turns out a little bit of peanut butter is good for us.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16'It's packed with healthy fats and minerals.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20'It seems we CAN think of peanut butter as a health food.'
0:23:20 > 0:23:23And we can make it even healthier by adding
0:23:23 > 0:23:26another breakfast favourite, toast.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30The secret to it is that we often combine peanuts
0:23:30 > 0:23:33or peanut butter with a different sort of plant protein,
0:23:33 > 0:23:34and in this case, cereals.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- Ah, this looks like a marriage made in heaven.- Yes.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39It's called complementary proteins,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42so they go to make a good-quality protein.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47Peanut butter contains some of the essential building blocks
0:23:47 > 0:23:50of proteins that our body needs.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52And toast contains others.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55They are complementary proteins.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Put them together and they're nutritionally very good for us.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02All things in moderation, of course,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06and best spread on a slice of toast for maximum benefit.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11But peanut butter is full of good fats, minerals, vitamins, fibre.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14This is one treat that we needn't feel quite so guilty about.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29You don't have to be a fantastic cook with loads of experience
0:24:29 > 0:24:33'to serve up food that has the wow factor.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37'All it takes is a clever bit of know-how.'
0:24:37 > 0:24:40In a professional kitchen, getting food consistently tasting great
0:24:40 > 0:24:43relies on tips and techniques that never fail.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45I'd like to share with you some of these trade secrets
0:24:45 > 0:24:48that are easy to do but incredibly effective.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58This trade secret is pretty hands-on.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Chefs call it a rub, and that's exactly what you do with it.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Now I have here a really lovely fillet of sea bass, and I'm going
0:25:07 > 0:25:10to intensify the flavour of that fish with a simple rub,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14a mix of everyday spices, seasonings and herbs
0:25:14 > 0:25:16that can transform an ordinary piece of meat or fish
0:25:16 > 0:25:18into something extra special.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22'Rubs are a quick and easy way to add flavour
0:25:22 > 0:25:26'without having to leave a dish marinating for a long time.'
0:25:27 > 0:25:30And the secret to a restaurant-quality rub
0:25:30 > 0:25:32lies in the ingredients.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36And I reckon most of you will have these in your spice rack at home.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39I'm going to start off with coriander seeds.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41These have already been toasted.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44I'm going to drop them into the pestle and mortar and grind them up.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52'Then add salt and time, but use dried thyme, not fresh.'
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Now, quite often I talk about herbs best being fresh.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58That's always good when you're using it for cooking
0:25:58 > 0:26:00and added right at the end.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02But for a rub mix, use dried.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06That way they're more intense in flavour.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09'Next, dried oregano and ground white pepper.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13'And another trade secret, garlic powder.'
0:26:13 > 0:26:19You might think garlic powder is a bit of a cheat, but it's not.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21'Fresh garlic can easily burn in the pan,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24'becoming unpleasantly bitter-tasting.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26'So garlic powder gives you all the flavour
0:26:26 > 0:26:28'without the risk of burning.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33'Pop in some cracked black pepper, cayenne pepper
0:26:33 > 0:26:37'for extra heat and spice, onion powder and finally,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41'my favourite spice, smoked paprika.'
0:26:41 > 0:26:45You get this lovely kind of orangey, red-y,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48gunpowdery kind of glow coming from it.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Ready for a piece of fish to take on that dry rub.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57'Brush the fish with a bit of melted butter, which helps the dry rub
0:26:57 > 0:27:01'stick to the skin.' Lift it out...
0:27:01 > 0:27:03'Place the fish in some oil,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05'skin side down.'
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Now here's is a really important tip.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Gently hold your fingers on the top,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13holding it in place
0:27:13 > 0:27:16so that that skin doesn't curl up.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21It's just beginning to go nice and crispy, instantly starts to cook.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Get a beautiful crust on it.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25This is the other important part.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26Do not cook it too quickly.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29You don't want it too hot, cos otherwise all of those spices
0:27:29 > 0:27:33will burn really quickly before the piece of fish is cooked.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36'Cook it for a few minutes skin side down,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39'then flip it over for a final basting.'
0:27:41 > 0:27:47Out of the pan, just drain the bit of fish with some kitchen towel
0:27:47 > 0:27:49and pop it on to the plate.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55Serve it with a very simple fennel coleslaw that I knocked up earlier.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Then that, my friends, is a really easy way of turning
0:27:59 > 0:28:02this simple piece of sea bass into something amazing
0:28:02 > 0:28:03using this dry rub.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07You can find this trade secret and more on the website.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Go to:
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Well, that's it from us for this series.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21We've been amazed by what we've found out,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24and I hope that we've helped you to be a bit more thoughtful
0:28:24 > 0:28:28and a bit wiser about how you shop, cook and eat.