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00:00Chef Michael van der Elsen and restaurateur Ganesh Raj are here to
00:04challenge our biggest spenders. Transforming kitchens and boosting
00:13nutrition. I got some spice. I didn't put any in there. All to save our hard-earned
00:18cash. Two trolleys. Come on people. We get revealing expert health. It's actually a
00:23myth that sugar is linked to hyperactivity. How can you just say that with a straight face?
00:27And even let you guys in on the act. Nothing to really blow your socks off. I don't mind that at
00:32all. It's time we all learned to eat well for less. Where do we start? We'll show you. This mum's under
00:37the pump. Everything just gets too much. The family's in a mealtime rut. It's the same meal over and over
00:44again. And processed foods have crept in. I definitely get the mum guilt. Time for an almighty change.
00:57This time we're in Hamilton with a big blended family of seven.
01:07We have dad Kerry with a K, a sales rep, and Kerry with a C, who runs this busy household.
01:18And then there's the kids. Eleven-year-old Sian. Liam, who's ten. Ava, nine. Six-year-old
01:26Aiden. And baby of the family, Brennan, who's almost two. With five kids to shop, dress and
01:34cater for in only 24 hours in a day, come dinner time, Kerry's in survival mode.
01:39If I'm exhausted or I'm tired, which is quite a lot at the moment, because with our baby,
01:45he's up a bit. I tend to just resort to, you know, something quick and easy. Because
01:51everything is so chaotic. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm not well-planned. Our typical meals sort of
01:58look like spaghetti bolognese or pasta dishes. The whole food part of things is just really
02:07challenging and really hard. And, you know, we are on a budget and we have seven meals
02:11to feed. And then you're sitting there, I'm having to go back to the supermarket to get
02:14things that I've forgotten. And it just, everything just gets too much. And I think that's why
02:20we resort to takeaways, because it's like, I can't be able to, it's just, it's too much.
02:24And I'm just sort of going, nah, I'm done. You know.
02:28You want some sausage, papa? But Kerry and Kerry know there's got to be a better way.
02:33We're cheating ourselves. We're cheating the kids of, you know, nutritious meals.
02:38I definitely get the mum guilt. Yeah.
02:40And the older kids are on board with one caveat.
02:44Well, we want our food to be healthy, but we want it to also be yum, so maybe a bit of
02:51both, maybe.
02:54But the younger kids are a little harder to convince, especially when it comes to getting
02:58in their five plus a day. Veggies, veggies, veggies, veggies. All day, all night.
03:05Veggies. Keep healthy.
03:07No, it's not. You don't get abs. You don't get anything.
03:11It does get quite frustrating with trying to satisfy all of them. Lunch is ready. Come
03:16on, please.
03:17I don't want any lunch.
03:19Come on, Aidan, please. You need to come and eat.
03:22I think that Michael and Ganesh will change our lives because we both are open to wanting
03:28to improve. And I think because we have that mindset, I think that they certainly can help
03:33us.
03:36And it's not just a mealtime mix-up this family are hoping for. If they can cut down their
03:40weekly food spend, they have a special savings goal in mind.
03:44It's like one of my biggest dreams and hopes that one day I will go to Disneyland. It'll
03:51be so fun, so fun.
03:54Changing their grocery habits could be the first step on the road to the Magic Kingdom,
03:59starting with the Two Carries weekly supermarket shop. And watching closely are food entrepreneurs,
04:05Chef Michael and restauranteur Ganesh, from their secret spot in the stockroom.
04:10OK, here we go.
04:11OK, here we go.
04:12What do we got?
04:13Do you want to hold the list, please?
04:14For about ten of them?
04:16What is that?
04:17It looks like a list.
04:18Right, we need potatoes, aren't we?
04:20It is a list.
04:21It is a list.
04:22We haven't seen a list in ages.
04:24Got that.
04:27Oh, actually, yeah, three for 20.
04:30So just do this.
04:31So that's three for $20, which ain't bad because each one of those containers is 500 grams,
04:36so it's like one and a half kilos.
04:38Totally.
04:39Like, if you make a cottage pie, you put a big dirty pile of mash on top.
04:41Oh, beautiful.
04:42That one pack will fill the hole.
04:44Absolutely.
04:45Need sausages now.
04:46What are these?
04:47Pre-cooked sausages.
04:48Pre-cooked sausages.
04:49That's never a healthy option.
04:51Gallies for the school lunches?
04:53Oh, actually, yeah, that's a good idea.
04:57Did you see that going off the list?
04:59No, I didn't.
05:00I didn't see any crossing for that.
05:01Not at all.
05:03That's a big bag of popcorn.
05:05That'll last for a while.
05:06Wow.
05:07Five kids.
05:08Yeah.
05:09There's a reason why that bag has to be so big.
05:11They've just brought some air.
05:14Is that the smooth type?
05:15Yes.
05:16Oh, yeah.
05:17There's no other type that's good.
05:19Yeah, that's crunchy.
05:20Smooth or crunchy?
05:21I'm probably more smooth.
05:23You are pretty smooth, Michael.
05:25Do we want to get a pasta sauce just to have in the pantry?
05:28Because we use it quite a lot.
05:30Yeah.
05:31And the bechamel sauce.
05:33Cabanara as well for the pasta.
05:37She's built all her meals around jars of sauce.
05:40I know.
05:41Maybe we could show her how to make a bechamel, huh?
05:43It'll be half the price.
05:44Totally.
05:45Yeah, two for today.
05:48Yeah, I think we can help them a bit, huh?
05:49Definitely.
05:50Let's go get it.
05:51Intervention time.
05:53Hey!
05:54Hi, Kerry.
05:55Hi, you, Kerry.
05:56I'm the other Kerry.
05:57You're the other Kerry.
05:58Kerry and Kerry.
05:59Kerry and Kerry.
06:00Pleasure to meet you.
06:01Nice to meet you.
06:02Nice to meet you.
06:03Whoa.
06:04Look at that.
06:05That's a full, full, full trolley.
06:07Do you struggle to kind of figure out what you want to cook?
06:10Yeah.
06:11This is the plan, but sometimes it just doesn't happen.
06:14All right, well, let's just see how much all this comes to.
06:16Oh, gosh.
06:17With Mike and Ganesh on the table.
06:18I'm trying to figure it out.
06:19I'm trying to figure it out.
06:20I'm trying to figure it out.
06:21Let's load it all up, guys.
06:22Go hard, go hard.
06:23Time to start scanning.
06:24This family loved their pre-made mac and cheese sauce.
06:26So if we looked at this, so this is $4.
06:27Yes.
06:28To make this much sauce would be what?
06:29Maybe three bucks.
06:30So you'd save a little bit of money.
06:31But if you did it double that size and made it six bucks.
06:32Yeah.
06:33Instead of four, we'd have twice the amount of food and twice the amount of school lunches.
06:36Oh, look.
06:37Uncle Ben.
06:38Egg fried rice.
06:39Do you know where Uncle Ben lives?
06:40In a giant house in the Caribbean.
06:41Because everyone's buying his little rice.
06:42It's the egg fried rice packet because we, I love making egg fried rice for Shan for lunches.
06:47Let's get some rice and let's get some eggs.
06:48We're doing it.
06:49We're going to show you how.
06:50Awesome.
06:51We're going to show you how.
06:52And now the jelly.
06:53There's two bucks.
06:54For those.
06:55So it's 50 cents each?
06:5650 cents each.
06:57That's a lot more than I thought it would be.
06:59It's a lot more than I thought it would be.
07:00And again, a lot of packaging.
07:01rice for Sian. Let's get some rice and let's get some eggs. We're doing it. We're
07:05gonna show you how. Awesome. We're gonna show you how. And now the jelly. There's
07:09two bucks. For those. So it's 50 cents each. 50 cents each. That's a lot more than I
07:15thought it would be. And again a lot of packaging. Precooked sausages, quick
07:20convenience food. It's probably not a lot of meat in this but kids love sausage.
07:24That's right. They do. They love my deviled sausages. The convenience is a big thing
07:28for you isn't it? Speed. Getting the food out on time. Yeah. How many meals would
07:32that really make? One for just the two of you? It's mine actually. There you go. So
07:36it's just for one person. Four bucks. Four bucks. So it's two bucks per meal on just
07:40chopped vegetables. So that's a saving area right there. And an iceberg lettuce, a whole
07:44iceberg lettuce, which would probably make about seven times that, would be the same
07:48price. It's the dressing inside it too. I can't find the dressing. It's the dressing.
07:53And the moment of truth. What's the damage? So, how much do you think you've spent today?
07:59My guess about 320. 320. Would you like to see how much you've spent? Yes. All right.
08:08Show us. God help me. You ready? Yep. Oh goodness gracious me. Oh wow. For almost 410.
08:17Yeah. What do you think pushed that over your estimate of 350? The treat items. The treat items
08:24I think. The treat items were definitely part of it, but there's also a bunch of convenience
08:28foods. We can definitely get you cooking more, which will allow you to spend maybe the same,
08:33maybe less, but it'll go a longer way. Absolutely. That would be awesome. Fantastic. Well let's
08:40get back and get cracking. Yeah, I think it's going to be really exciting
08:46to see what, what different things we can do. I'm, yeah, I'm really excited about it actually.
08:52Bring it on. Yeah. While the family are out, Mike and Ganesh pop in to see what's in the
08:57pantry back home. What have we got? Right, let's see what we have. Ooh. Hey, you know what?
09:03This looks very much like their shopping list. Yeah, like you say, like those guys. They have
09:07a plan. They follow the plan. And that guy. That guy. One more. And that guy. That guy.
09:15But what is really interesting, it's the same meals over and over again. The instant noodles.
09:21Yeah. The chocolate spread of the morning, the cereals in the morning. What these people
09:26need are some ideas. Refrigerator. Ta-da. Ooh. It's not a lot in here, is there? No.
09:33Oh. What's this over? Oh. Didn't this, didn't they have some of that at, out of the shopping?
09:39It's not looking quite as fresh. Well, it's four dollars. That's a waste. That's going
09:45to waste. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 11 bottles of different
09:50types of sauces. Very much size. What she seems to need is some new ideas to get flavour and
09:54stop buying these sauces. You know what? Let's teach two carries how to cook. Let's do it.
10:00With a shop chocker full of convenience foods, it's time to take a good look at what they've
10:06bought today. Okay, people. We are here for a reason. What is that reason? We would like
10:14to take the kids to Disneyland. That's an expensive dream, but we need dreams, don't we?
10:20Well, absolutely. We need dreams. So we've got to be honest with you. You want to make that
10:23dream happen? We've got to tell you what we think. Is that okay? Yep. Go for it.
10:26I think overall, it's pretty good. You've got lots of veggies over there. Absolutely.
10:32There is a little salty corner going on here. There is. There's some product here that I
10:38think is definitely areas we can save money. So today, you spent 406. But that's not actually
10:47that bad. Because an average Kiwi family of your size spends 467. Oh, wow.
10:54So you're actually coming under. Yes. Yes. But this is where things are coming apart
11:00for you. You're spending $265 a week on takeaways. Is it every week? Every week on average. Holy
11:10moly. Your weekly total is 732, including your takeaways. All right. Yeah. That's 38,000
11:20a year. Yeah. Far out. That's crazy. So we want to get to Disneyland, people. Yes, we do. So the idea
11:29is, let's cut some of this down. Cook more. Cook with the kids more. Yeah? Are we serious
11:35about getting to Disneyland? Oh, yes. Let's help you out. Let's do it. Let's do it. Let's go see Mickey.
11:40That's a wonderful look. Yeah. Giving up the jars will be hard and challenging because it's,
11:46you know, a habit. But it's a habit that I can break because I want the benefits in the long run.
11:53And Michael and Ganesh have got a plan to nudge them in the right direction. You know,
11:58these guys are on the right track. They've got the right intentions. They just need new ideas.
12:03Totally. Kerry needs to cook dinner quickly. Yep. And it needs to work. She's always under pressure. And
12:10it's got to be tasty. Every meal needs to be a winner in this family because they can't afford
12:14to lose any food. And so we've got to get the family involved. Yep. Get Dad and the kids
12:18into that kitchen cooking. Get them back in there. Connected. Enjoying food. Coming up, the challenge
12:25has been set. Oh, look at all the stuff we're not allowed though. But will this family be able
12:29to adapt? It's not that yummy. It's day one and the wackro Elliotts have cleared out of the house as
12:40their kitchen gets an eat well for less takeover. Those jars of sauce are a go to for this family.
12:46But this week they are strictly off limits. They've had many of their favourite brands switched out for
12:51cheaper and healthier options in plain packaging. Gone are all those reassuring labels. Ready for the reveal?
12:57Three, two, one. Go.
13:01Holy moly. Wow, that's good. That makes a big difference, eh?
13:06Bits. Oh my God.
13:08Popcorn, popcorn. Yeah. Yeah.
13:10It's tacos. Tacos. Oh. Tacos. Tacos.
13:15And the French has had a makeover too.
13:18Burger. Wow.
13:20Oh my God, there's so much doing.
13:22Oh, look at all the stuff we're not allowed though.
13:24Oh no, the caramel sauce is blocked off.
13:27It's certainly different to see the fridge like this. It looks organised.
13:31Yeah. And weird.
13:33It's like less packaging and all that stuff and it actually looks really cool.
13:38And I didn't like it. It's like, weird.
13:42All right, let's close the fridge.
13:44Right.
13:45I think a few of them will just give everything a go and a few of them will just go,
13:48no, no, I don't want to do this. So, yeah. We'll see. We'll see.
13:52Well, it starts from the top right. So, if we, if we can enforce it, then I'm sure they'll get on board and, um, yeah, run with it as well.
14:02With seven mouths to feed, Kerry needs quick meals, bang for her buck and something tasty that will keep everyone happy.
14:09It's no small task.
14:11Do you want to do some cooking with me?
14:13Yes.
14:14So, Michael has created a dish packed with flavour and freshness that will also stretch out to feed the masses.
14:20Oh, it's mum. It's me.
14:22There we go.
14:23And even better, it's only 3.36 a portion.
14:26Who likes noodles?
14:29Me!
14:31Okay, so today we're going to make some beef noodles.
14:35And he's enlisted the kids' help to get the job done fast.
14:38So, here...
14:39Sian and Liam are picking herbs, while Ava and Aidan are on peeler patrol making veggie ribbons.
14:45And you just keep going until there is no carrot left.
14:49Okay, mum. So, here, I've got a little bit of beef snitchel.
14:53Okay.
14:54So, the great thing about using beef snitchel is, A, it's quite affordable.
14:57This is about 250 grams. So, these two pieces of snitchel are going to feed seven people today.
15:05So, what I'll do is I'm going to marinate this really, really quickly.
15:09Pop that into a bowl.
15:11For the marinade, it's simply a splash of soy sauce, some vegetable oil and a touch of chilli.
15:16Okay, let me make this really, really fine.
15:19So, now we just leave this beef to marinate.
15:22Okay.
15:23So, these are rice noodles.
15:25So, this is going to give this entire dish the body and it's going to hopefully fulfil everyone.
15:31Just pour the hot water over the top of them and then just walk away. Just let them soften.
15:37While the noodles cook, it's time to pan fry the beef.
15:40So, on average, how fast would you have to make the meal?
15:44Yeah, 20 minutes, half now.
15:46I can guarantee that you can make this in 30 minutes.
15:49Thanks, kids. Top job.
15:50Top job.
15:51Now to get some flavours going with those herbs Liam and Sian have picked.
15:54Kerry gets smashing mint and coriander followed by garlic cloves, then lemon and brown sugar to make a cheeky wee namjim sauce.
16:02Smash it. That's it.
16:05Awesome.
16:06The cooked beef is sliced up.
16:08That is deliciousness.
16:10And it's time to bring everything together.
16:12Our carrots, haven't they done a good job?
16:14They have. It's awesome.
16:15So, we go noodle time.
16:17Wow.
16:18Beef goes in.
16:19Cooked noodles go in next, followed by the beef along with its resting juices, then the namjim sauce and then it's off the stove.
16:26Yeah. So, we take this over here. So, this will feed the whole family. But wait there, we're not finished.
16:33Finally, the dish is topped off with cucumber ribbons and fresh herbs.
16:37Doesn't that look cool?
16:38Wow.
16:39Looks amazing.
16:40But what will the kids think?
16:42Here, sweets. All yours. Well done.
16:43Delicious.
16:44It's good to have a different sauce.
16:49Mmm.
16:50Yeah.
16:51I like the meat. The meat's my favourite part. It's got so much flavour and it's really, really yum.
16:58It's awesome though. I like it. It's really yummy. It's not that yummy.
17:03Not everyone needs to like it. But the idea is that the whole family comes together and they all cook together.
17:08Yum.
17:09And they make food that is fun.
17:11I got some spice.
17:13Mmm. I didn't put any in there.
17:15You did.
17:16I did not.
17:17I was watching.
17:19Carrie likes to include plenty of red meat in her family's diet to ensure they are getting as much iron in as possible,
17:25especially to help boost Sian's immune system.
17:29But are there other iron-rich foods this family could be eating more of?
17:33Our resident dietitian Angela Beryl is here to fill us in.
17:36Which foods do we think contain iron on this table?
17:39Well, we've got the usual suspects. We know the red meat and spinach.
17:42Yeah, maybe fish lentils.
17:48Good work. Well, actually, all these foods here contain iron.
17:52What we've got here is our meat, fish and chicken. They're actually what we call our heme sources of iron.
17:57And heme iron is really easily absorbed by the body.
18:01With our plant-based sources of iron, it's the likes of your legumes, so your lentils here, but also chickpeas and beans contain iron.
18:09Also your tofu. Dried fruit is a good source of iron, but also it is quite high in sugar.
18:15But the reality is we're going to need a lot more of these types of foods in order to get the same amount of iron as your meat sources.
18:24Everyone talks about how much iron there is in spinach. How much iron is there compared to a piece of red meat?
18:30Well, this is probably quite interesting, and what not many people might realise is you actually need about two cups of cooked spinach in order to get a similar amount of iron as there is in about one steak.
18:41That's a lot of spinach. That's a lot.
18:43And then we have the fruit in the corner just sitting there quietly. What's that got to do with it?
18:47With these plant sources of iron, what we can do to actually increase the absorption of that non-heme iron is to include some sources of vitamin C with those meals.
18:56So all these fruits and vegetables here actually contain vitamin C.
19:00So try and include those sorts of foods alongside your non-heme sources of iron.
19:07It's breakfast time back in Hamilton, and both Liam and Aidan are huge porridge fans.
19:12All right boys, I think we are done.
19:15But this morning they'll be testing out a new type of porridge.
19:18All right, there we go.
19:21Will it be just right for the boys?
19:24Just smash it back, babe. Do you like it?
19:27Ah, yep. I would definitely eat it again.
19:31Yep. Thank you, buddy.
19:33That's a yes from Liam, but Aidan is a bit of a trickier customer.
19:37It tastes like the normal one.
19:39It tastes like the normal one?
19:41Oh.
19:43So you guys would be happy if I bought this one again?
19:45Yep, definitely.
19:46Looks like it's a keeper.
19:48And with a saving of $1 per bag, it's a good start on the savings and a great brekkie for the boys.
19:56Making sure kids are getting the best start in life with good nutrition has come up again and again as we've met our Eat Well For Less families.
20:02Kids Can helps to feed children in over 700 schools around New Zealand.
20:07And with Countdown's help, they're now also feeding kids in early childhood education centres.
20:12Let's go and have a look.
20:13So tell me, what's the idea behind Kids Can?
20:19We believe as a charitable organisation that education equals opportunity.
20:23We know that we have a child poverty issue in New Zealand and Kids Can was set up to address that by providing the basics to children so that they had the opportunity to go to school, to go to early learning and take advantage of that education.
20:39What's behind the move to early childhood centres?
20:43We were getting requests pretty much every week telling us that children were going hungry, they were missing out on the basics.
20:49And for us, we believe that those years of early childhood set kids up for school.
20:54So it was a natural move to support children under five as well.
20:58Some people worry that Kids Can is just providing food that the parents should be providing. Is that fair?
21:04We have a high percentage of children and families living in poverty and we need to make sure that those children get the right nutrition they deserve so they can get on with learnings.
21:15And ultimately, it's good for all of New Zealand if children are valued and get the right food and nutrition.
21:20Why is Countdown a good partner?
21:22Oh look, they're fantastic because they're able to deliver fresh ingredients and food to our centres once a week that can then be made into these amazing meals for kids.
21:34But I think the fact is that they do care, they want to see our kids get good nutrition and they recognise that for some families that's difficult so they're the perfect partner really for us.
21:44Up next...
21:46What do you guys reckon it all tastes like?
21:48Dad's on dinner duty and what will the great Kiwi public make of our tea test?
21:52Nothing to really blow your socks off.
22:00Wash your hands guys.
22:02Day two of our kitchen takeover and Kerry's doing a kitchen takeover of his own.
22:06Mum's off dinner duty and it's Dad, Ava and Liam taking on Ganesha's recipe for five colour veggie pasta.
22:13Right, so Liam I'll get you to grate the carrots.
22:18What do you guys reckon it would taste like?
22:20Vegetables of course.
22:22Yeah?
22:23It's pretty obvious.
22:24Wow, that's true Ava.
22:26It's packed full of veg.
22:28Zucchini and carrot are grated and cauliflower and tomato chopped.
22:32What if they squirt you?
22:34Squirt?
22:35No, they won't squirt.
22:36It's the next minute.
22:38What kind of pasta is this?
22:41So that's a wholemeal, that is definitely more healthier for you.
22:44And bonus, wholemeal has double the fibre of regular pasta.
22:48The pasta goes on the boil, the onions are sautéed and then the rest of the veg are added to the pan to cook.
22:54Once the pasta is drained, everything is thrown together along with grated parmesan.
22:59It looks very interesting.
23:04Let's see what Mum thinks of the meal.
23:07What's dedicated?
23:09The five colour veggies.
23:12Wow, so there's no meat in there at all?
23:15No meat in there at all.
23:16Wow, it looks amazing.
23:18Give it a go.
23:19I just want to dig in.
23:20You want to dig in?
23:21That's awesome.
23:22I want tea.
23:23You want some too?
23:24Mmm.
23:25How do you know until you...
23:26Good ass.
23:27Mmm.
23:28It's very nice.
23:29I kind of like it, but I don't like it.
23:31Hey, well we'll take that.
23:33I love it.
23:34We'll take that.
23:35So you're happy to help Mum and Dad in the kitchen from now on?
23:39Mmm-hmm.
23:40Usually all of us are always running around the house and stuff, and then this time we're
23:45actually in the kitchen.
23:46Yeah, you have to do it more often, eh?
23:48Yep.
23:49Looks like Kerry will be able to skip dinner duty and put her feet up a little more often.
23:53Speaking of which, it's time for a cuppa, and this is a big one for Belle tea loyal Kerry.
23:59My cuppa tea is my time out.
24:02Yep.
24:03No, I use it to remove myself from the stress of being a mum.
24:08I don't have a lot of luxuries in my life, so my tea is definitely my luxury.
24:13Unfortunately, no luxuries are safe this week.
24:17But let's see if this new tea still gives Kerry that much needed moment of peace.
24:24It doesn't taste different, which makes me think that it's probably the same.
24:28But if it was different and it was going to save me money, then absolutely I'd buy it.
24:34It is a cheaper tea, but given Kerry didn't notice the difference in the taste,
24:37we think she'll be happy to notice the difference in her pocket.
24:41While Kerry gets some screen time, we've been invited for a yarn and a cuppa test with a local knitting group.
24:47And they certainly have the experience to tell a bang-up brew from an insipid sip.
24:52Particularly if we're looking at the difference between, like, actual tea and just sweepings,
24:57I think I'll be able to pick a sweepings.
25:00Plenty of flavour, but no bitterness. I like more smooth on the tongue.
25:04And that makes a good cup of tea for me.
25:06So it's knit two, pearl two, and sip on five different teas for our blind taste test.
25:11Our knitters will be testing PG Tips, the lowest-priced tea.
25:15A supermarket-owned brand.
25:18Choicer, the bestseller.
25:20Kerry's fave, Bell Tea.
25:22And the most expensive brew, Dilmar.
25:25Here.
25:26Cup of tea time.
25:27Time to put these teas to the test.
25:29First up is Dilmar, our most expensive tea.
25:32That's nice.
25:33Yeah, nice.
25:34I like that one.
25:35Well, I find it a little bit bitter, but I think that might be because I like my tea weak.
25:41Basic, standard black tea kind of a taste, really.
25:45Nothing to really blow your socks off.
25:48Actually, maybe it's the perfect tea to have if you've got someone coming over
25:52where you don't really know what kind of tea they like.
25:54The supermarket-owned brand is up next.
25:56Does Countdown make a good cuppa?
25:58I agree, I like the other one.
25:59This one's more insipid by comparison.
26:01I think.
26:02Yeah.
26:03The other one's nicer.
26:04I like the smell, but the taste isn't really anything to write home about.
26:08Well, that one wasn't exactly a pearler.
26:11Perhaps Belty will do better.
26:13Oh, I don't know.
26:14I like this better than the last one.
26:15The last one was insipid.
26:16I can actually taste this.
26:172 for 9.
26:18How about you guys?
26:19What do you think?
26:20Do you like this one better or worse than the others?
26:22Better than the last one.
26:24Pretty good.
26:25But will Choicer be top choice?
26:27This one's nice.
26:29It's not bold, but it's not shrinking either.
26:34I find this one's smoothest on my tongue somehow.
26:37It's almost sweet.
26:38Almost sweet.
26:39Yeah.
26:40And lucky last, it's our most affordable option PG Tips.
26:44This one's got a lovely smell.
26:45This one reminds me of a Dilma, the ones that come in the nice fall bags in the box, rather
26:51than just lumped in a cardboard box in the back of the cupboard.
26:55In other words, you're saying it smells and tastes like one of the expensive ones.
26:59So that's appealing to that tea snob in you, isn't it?
27:02This tastes like a perfectly functional mid-range tea.
27:05Thank you very much.
27:06Now we're all on pins and needles to find out which tea was judged the top brew.
27:11Our most pricey tea, Dilma, is the winner.
27:14And our cheapest, PG Tips, comes in second place.
27:17Good tea is worth a splurge, but cheaper brands in our test are definitely worth a whirl too.
27:23You just go for what you like, and if it happens to be a cheap one, well lucky you.
27:27And if it's an expensive one, but that's something that you really love, well then I think it can be worth the investment.
27:32I drink so much tea that I will spend on tea the amount of money that it takes for me to really keep enjoying my tea.
27:39But if that's cheap tea, I'm just as happy with that.
27:42Back in Hamilton, the Wackrow Elliott children are on a roll and getting seriously sciency for the next taste experiment.
27:49We have something I'm not actually a fan of, peanut butter.
28:00So you boys, would you eat this meal again?
28:04Um, don't ask me, I'm bad at eating this.
28:07Yes, I would eat it again, every day, and for lunch, at school, every day.
28:15I would eat it for breakfast, I would eat it for dinner, every day and every night and every afternoon.
28:23That's a conclusive result.
28:25And with this peanut butter being lower in salt and sugar and higher in protein than their usual brand, they're on to a winner there.
28:34The new food regime is kicking along nicely, and today Ganesh has popped in with another recipe to help the Wackrow Elliott's ditch the jars.
28:41Do you like, do you like tacos?
28:43Yes.
28:44Awesome, we're making fish tacos today.
28:46So we're each going to have a job.
28:48Job number one, fish fillets.
28:50First up, it's chopping the fish fillets.
28:53Meanwhile, Ganesh starts chopping purple cabbage for the salad.
28:56Try that.
28:57I'll try it with you.
28:58Cheers.
28:59Cheers.
29:00It's sweet.
29:01It's so crunchy.
29:02It's crunchy.
29:03It's interesting.
29:05Interesting.
29:06We'll go with that.
29:07Aside from adding a splash of colour, purple cabbage packs a nutrient punch with loads of vitamin C and ten times the vitamin A of green cabbage.
29:16With the fish chopped, Ava adds in garlic powder, onion powder, salt and lemon juice.
29:22Now the messy part.
29:23There you go.
29:24So you want all that beautiful ingredient to touch.
29:27All that marinade, onion powder, garlic powder.
29:29Get in there.
29:30Get in there.
29:31And once the fish is coated, it's onto a baking tray and into the oven.
29:36Help me.
29:37Yes.
29:38And then we leave that for 15 minutes.
29:39Okay.
29:40All right.
29:41Meanwhile, time for a tropical salad with cabbage, pineapple and onion.
29:44All finished off with a squeeze of lemon and some chopped coriander.
29:48But this is beautiful.
29:49So this is what makes everybody really happy.
29:51It's all these colours.
29:52Yes.
29:53It's beautiful.
29:54This family aren't usually big fish eaters, but Ava has a plan.
29:57We could say it's chicken so people will actually eat it.
30:00Because I won't eat it.
30:01You're sneaky and I like that about you.
30:03All right.
30:04Let's see what they think.
30:05Time to gather the team for a tasty taco test.
30:08You test it.
30:09Go.
30:13What do you think?
30:14Thumbs up.
30:15Yeah.
30:16We did.
30:17Thumbs up.
30:18Go on.
30:19Get in there.
30:20Come on.
30:21Chicken.
30:22Fantastic.
30:23Go for it.
30:24Another thumbs up.
30:25Another thumbs up.
30:26All right.
30:27Looks like everybody's pretty happy.
30:29Oh, look at you go.
30:31Good job.
30:32Yeah.
30:33By the way, you just ate fish, not chicken.
30:35I was lying the whole entire time.
30:39Good.
30:40You weren't meant to tell him now.
30:42Aiden, you were eating it.
30:43That's a firm no from Aiden.
30:45He was.
30:46And turns out that Sian and Kerry are not sold on the fish either.
30:49Daddy.
30:50Will you eat that?
30:51I'll probably replace the fish with the chicken.
30:53There you go.
30:54Fantastic.
30:55That's all right.
30:56That's awesome.
30:57So all we have to do is sort that out and you're on a winner.
31:00Easy fix.
31:01Looks like fish, well, chicken tacos could start making a regular appearance on the dinner roster.
31:07Either way, they'll come in at under $5 a serve.
31:11Our science team are back in the lab and this time have lunchbox jelly under the microscope.
31:18It's very wobbly.
31:19So is it their normal jelly?
31:22There are mixed opinions.
31:23It tastes different to our normal jelly.
31:25Like it's got more flavour to it.
31:27It's really good actually.
31:29It tastes like the same one we usually have.
31:32The normal one has like more texture.
31:38Wow, scientist Aiden, you've already finished.
31:41You must love that jelly.
31:43Time to collate the results of the study.
31:46Do you think we should buy this jelly again or just go to our old regular one?
31:51I reckon they should buy it again.
31:53I reckon they should.
31:55So tasty.
31:56I say this jelly is really, really yummy.
32:00And not only that, it's cheaper than their regular brand and more importantly contains almost no sugar.
32:08Speaking of which, sugar is often the suspect when kids go cuckoo.
32:12But what's really going on when the sweet rush hits?
32:15Dietitian Angela Beryl has the answer.
32:18So we're all parents and we've seen it time and time again.
32:21The monsters that our children turn into after a handful of lollies.
32:25Now why is that?
32:26What's going on?
32:27Look, while sugar and other highly refined carbohydrates do provide a quick burst of glucose into the bloodstream,
32:33it's actually a myth that sugar is linked to hyperactivity.
32:36No.
32:37How can you just say that with a straight face?
32:39Back in the 70s, there was a very small trial that was conducted that actually thought there was a link between sugar and hyperactivity.
32:45Since then, there have been a number of large trials conducted that have actually disproven this link.
32:51So it really is a myth and often it's the parent's perception around hyperactivity and the fact that these foods are often included at parties or other fun events where kids are getting really hyped up.
33:03That is the issue rather than the sugar.
33:05Wow.
33:06So there's nothing wrong with a little bit of chocolate at the end of the day, afternoon tea?
33:12There's no denying that sugary foods are actually usually quite nutrient poor, meaning they're not providing our bodies with all those nutrients that we actually need to support our growth and development.
33:22But look, if we're having a little bit of brownie or a little piece of chocolate every now and again within the context of a healthy balanced diet that's focused mostly around whole and minimally processed foods, then that's probably going to be okay.
33:35So if your kids come home after school, what are some other examples of like nutrient dense snacks that are delicious?
33:43So something like a smoothie is a really good way of getting in some protein, some calcium and some other nutrients.
33:49Things like air popped popcorn are a really good idea or even some vegetables and hummus or crackers can be very helpful too.
33:55Yeah, delicious.
33:56So, so we can have some?
33:57Well, you could possibly have that little tiny bit on top there.
34:00See?
34:01Back in Hamilton, it's time for some mother-daughter bonding.
34:04I thought it'd be really nice if the two of us could bake something together. How does that sound?
34:09That sounds so great!
34:11They've been given a recipe by Mike for an afternoon tea snack that could be a little controversial.
34:17Mike's oatmeal slice with avocado butter.
34:21Avocado butter?
34:23Yeah.
34:24That's interesting.
34:25Yeah.
34:26What do you think?
34:27It might be gross.
34:28Well, we're not big fans of avocado, but hey, we can give it a go.
34:32Yep.
34:33We sure can.
34:34Mm-hmm.
34:35Yes, we're highly dubious too.
34:37Kerry gets to work chopping apricots, dates and almonds.
34:40Chop, chop, mum. Chop, chop.
34:44They go into a bowl with pumpkin seeds and wholemeal oats.
34:47Woo!
34:48Chop, chop.
34:49Next, into a saucepan goes butter, brown sugar and 85 grams of honey.
34:54No!
34:56101.
34:57Oh, well.
34:58It's gonna be nice and sweet.
35:01And that gets melted together on the stovetop.
35:04Mixed into the dry ingredients.
35:06Smells so good.
35:08It does actually.
35:09And pressed into a baking tin to bake at 160 degrees for 30 minutes.
35:15While it's cooking, Ava's subbed Sharn out to help Kerry with the avocado butter.
35:19That's two ripe avos into a bowl with the juice of half a lemon.
35:23Then it just needs a mash.
35:25Awesome.
35:26You know how we mash bananas?
35:29Psh, psh, psh, psh.
35:30No, that's terrifying.
35:32We're gonna mash the avocado.
35:35Let all your anger and frustrations out.
35:37One crack.
35:38Done.
35:39Good.
35:40All right, guys.
35:41Afternoon tea.
35:43Yeah!
35:44Oh, wow, look at that.
35:45Look at this.
35:47This is going to be interesting.
35:49Time for the moment of truth.
35:51I love it!
35:52Oh, fantastic.
35:53That's the first.
35:54Mmm, this is very nice.
35:56You like it?
35:57Very good.
35:58But what about the avocado butter?
36:00Like a lamb?
36:01Yeah.
36:02Even with the avocado on it as well?
36:03Avocado butter?
36:04Yup.
36:05Definitely.
36:06I'm not a big fan of the avocado butter, but I quite like it without it.
36:11Fine.
36:12Thumbs up if you like it.
36:14I think it's a hit.
36:16Woohoo!
36:17Great, if unexpected news.
36:20And a steal at only 1.55 per person.
36:23Or 77 cents if you make it without the butter.
36:27The Wacro Elliotts love their mac and cheese from a jar.
36:30And for time-poor mum Kerry, it's a quick fix.
36:33All right.
36:34So today Liam and Ava are putting a possibly different sauce to the test.
36:38Smells really good.
36:40Smells good, doesn't it?
36:41Mm-hmm.
36:42Is it their usual sauce or something a bit different in this mystery jar?
36:46It's good.
36:47Yeah?
36:48It is.
36:49Good?
36:50Actually really nice.
36:51I approve.
36:52You approve?
36:53Yep.
36:54Bonus.
36:55Does it taste different?
36:56Yeah, it's a different and a good...
36:57Very different.
36:58I guess.
36:59They're right.
37:00It's different.
37:01It's a completely homemade sauce.
37:02I feel like this one has more flavour.
37:04More flavour?
37:05Same.
37:06That's good.
37:07Yeah, the one was like all plain.
37:09You like it?
37:10Yep.
37:11Yeah?
37:12Thumbs up?
37:13Two thumbs up.
37:14Do we get this one again?
37:16Yes.
37:17If Kerry were to cook up a big batch of this preservative and emulsifier-free sauce,
37:22it would be a much more cost-effective quick-fix meal solution for those busy nights.
37:28Coming up...
37:29I really want them to go to Disneyland.
37:31Yeah.
37:32Have the Wackrow Elliotts saved enough for their trip of a lifetime?
37:35Next.
37:43In Hamilton, the week is drawing to a close.
37:46With seven people to feed, it was always going to be a challenge to keep everyone happy with the new food.
37:51So it's time for Michael and Ganesh to see how the family have coped.
37:55I really want this to work.
37:57So do I.
37:58But this family's very stuck in their ways.
38:00They are, but they need to follow through with our recipes.
38:03They need to get outside the box.
38:05I want them to save a bit of money.
38:06Yes.
38:07Because I really want them to go to Disneyland.
38:09Yeah, that's a good one.
38:13Alright, here we go.
38:14Hi.
38:15Hello.
38:16Hi.
38:17How are you?
38:18How are you?
38:19Are you well?
38:20Hello sausage.
38:21How are you little one?
38:22Hi.
38:23How's the week been?
38:24Yeah, it's been a good week.
38:25We've learnt a lot along the way.
38:27Yeah.
38:28It's been really educational, hasn't it?
38:30Yeah.
38:31And the food?
38:32Different.
38:33In a good, different way?
38:34Different.
38:35It wasn't tasty though.
38:36Yes.
38:37Okay, that's important.
38:38What did the kids say?
38:39Yeah, the kids were a tough crowd.
38:41Some of them were played, some of them weren't.
38:43But, you know, there were certainly things that I could tweak, like the tacos.
38:47Yes.
38:48Certainly a little few options there that we can use.
38:51So that was really, really good.
38:53I loved the salad.
38:54And what about those sauces?
38:56Did you miss them?
38:58Um, no, actually.
39:00No?
39:01I really enjoyed cooking it from scratch.
39:03And it's better for you too.
39:04Well, you know what's in it.
39:05You know what's going in it.
39:06Exactly.
39:07That's it.
39:08It's gold.
39:09So, let's reveal what you've been eating.
39:11Okay, here we go.
39:13So your initial spend at the supermarket was $406, which is fairly modest.
39:20You know, it's actually lower than the Kiwi average for a family your size.
39:24It's not too bad.
39:25But, I think with a few tweaks.
39:27Yep.
39:28We want to get some of those savings going, so you can have that dream holiday.
39:31Absolutely.
39:32Alright?
39:33Yep, definitely.
39:34Who loves a good cup of tea?
39:35That would be me.
39:36What did we think about the tea?
39:37Um, it was actually really nice.
39:39Did you think it was your usual brand?
39:41It was really hard to decide that one, so I was kind of on the fence.
39:47It was nice, so I didn't really mind.
39:49Well, cup of tea.
39:51Mm-hmm.
39:52Was it Belle?
39:53Or was it Hell?
39:57No, it wasn't.
39:58It was this beautiful supermarket on tea.
40:02And the best part about it is that.
40:04Awesome.
40:05That works for me.
40:06Yep, that's good.
40:07Every bit counts, right?
40:08Absolutely.
40:09Every bit counts.
40:10Yep.
40:11Next, the kids' porridge.
40:12It tastes like the normal one.
40:14I would definitely eat it again.
40:16Ah, the kids loved it.
40:17This is a good sign.
40:18Oh!
40:19This is a good sign.
40:20Here we go.
40:21Yeah, it really did.
40:22Because we did actually swap it.
40:23Yeah.
40:24For a supermarket-owned brand.
40:25And worth another small saving.
40:27That's good.
40:28Another tick off the list.
40:29But will we hit a wobble with the jelly?
40:31It's got more flavour to it.
40:33It's really good, actually.
40:34Yes, it did.
40:35Yes, it did.
40:36What did the scientists think?
40:37Oh my gosh, they loved the jelly.
40:38That's fantastic.
40:39They wanted more.
40:40Isn't that awesome?
40:41That's fantastic news.
40:42Because we had good old jelly lights.
40:47Oh.
40:48Now, here's what's really cool about this.
40:50It's got almost no sugar.
40:51It smelt so good.
40:53Isn't that great, though?
40:54Isn't that awesome?
40:55Absolutely.
40:56It's fun for the kids.
40:57It's a little treat, and we cut that sugar right back down for the little people.
41:00Oh, that's fantastic.
41:01So, you remember when you went to the supermarket, you bought about 12 bottles of jelly?
41:06Well, that is your saving per week, just with these two sachets.
41:11Wow.
41:12But wait, there's more.
41:13There's more.
41:14You remember these?
41:15Yes.
41:16So, if the kids use these to take jelly to school, it means you don't have to go through
41:20packaging.
41:21There's no wasted plastic.
41:22It's saving the planet.
41:23Mm-hmm.
41:24Just wash those.
41:25That's always a good thing.
41:26Fill them up the next day.
41:27Absolutely.
41:28Yeah, that's awesome.
41:29A solid win.
41:30Next up is the peanut butter.
41:31I would eat it again.
41:32Every day.
41:33And for lunch.
41:34At school.
41:35Every day.
41:36The peanut butter fans in the house loved it.
41:41Let me show you what they had.
41:43This peanut butter.
41:45No added salt.
41:46So it's low in salt.
41:47Yeah.
41:48It's low in sugar.
41:49And it's got more protein in it.
41:50Oh, right.
41:51So it's actually a lot better for them.
41:54Sweet.
41:55However, it does come at a cost.
41:58Oh.
41:59So it's a little bit more, but it's the low sugar, the low salt and more protein worth
42:0590 cents a week.
42:06Yeah, it is.
42:07Yeah, it is.
42:08It is, isn't it?
42:09Yeah.
42:10For the kids.
42:11And they were happy.
42:12They were.
42:13They were very happy.
42:14That's great.
42:15And finally, the white pasta sauce.
42:16I feel like this one has more flavour.
42:19More flavour?
42:20Yeah.
42:21That's good.
42:22Yeah, the one was like all plain.
42:24White sauce was a major hit.
42:26Yeah.
42:27Yeah.
42:28Do you think we swapped it?
42:29Yes.
42:30You could tell that it was actually a better taste.
42:33That's all we needed to hear.
42:34Because guess what?
42:35That was a homemade white sauce.
42:38But the best thing about this is no emulsifiers, no preservatives, even better for them.
42:44And a saving of over $6 a week just by making your own.
42:49It's a huge saving.
42:51But is it enough to make Kerry give up her beloved quick and easy jars?
42:55Yeah.
42:56Yeah, absolutely.
42:57So this is definitely a swap, isn't it?
42:58Oh, gosh.
42:59No more bottle sauces.
43:00No.
43:01Another success.
43:02And it all adds up.
43:03With just a few small swaps, you went from $406 down to $355.
43:10That's...
43:11Big difference.
43:12That's $51 a week just by a few small changes.
43:16But remember the takeaways that you had.
43:19Mm-hmm.
43:20Do you remember that?
43:21Mm-hmm.
43:22That $260.
43:23Now, we're not saying don't do takeaways.
43:24Because, you know, you've got a big family.
43:26And from time to time, let's just get a meal in.
43:28But what if we halved that?
43:29Mm-hmm.
43:30We went to about $130 a week.
43:31With the $51 redu...
43:33Yep.
43:34That's almost $9,000 a year in savings.
43:37Wow.
43:38That's nearly half the trip to...
43:40Half the trip to Disneyland.
43:41You're saying it, yeah.
43:42Isn't it?
43:43Mm-hmm.
43:44That's nearly half the trip to Disneyland.
43:45So all we have to do, just with little tweaks.
43:47That's it.
43:48And your kids are going to be eating better.
43:50Which is also a very good positive.
43:52Yeah.
43:53It's just, you know, you're doing an amazing job.
43:54You guys were always doing a great job.
43:56All we did was help you tweak it slightly,
43:58so you could do even more and go on holiday together
44:00and have a great time.
44:02When you add up all the little savings,
44:04it actually comes to quite a big total.
44:07and I think that if we do that every week,
44:10the amount we're going to save at the end of the year
44:12is going to be amazing.
44:14So, yeah.
44:15I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do with it.
44:18Top, top.
44:19Well done, sir.
44:20That white sauce was incredible.
44:21And sugar.
44:22I really wish...
44:23Yeah, isn't it?
44:24Oh, hey!
44:25Oh, crap!
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