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00:00Hey!
00:01Suzanne and I are back together.
00:04Lead the way, Professor Batch.
00:05Helping families up and down the country
00:07get control of their meal times.
00:10It is chaotic.
00:13That is an insane amount of snacks.
00:16As a dad of six kids, I know getting good healthy food
00:19on the table fast can be a nightmare.
00:21Grub is up!
00:23It's like feeding the three bears, isn't it?
00:25With my Batching tips and tricks,
00:27we're going to make those dreaded dinner times
00:29a thing of the past.
00:30Three minutes, your dinner is done, no fuss.
00:34We'll help struggling households.
00:36Oh!
00:38Could you eat that and not die?
00:39Who find feeding the family stressful.
00:41That chicken's off.
00:43We'll analyse what they eat.
00:45You're only getting a balanced diet
00:4720% of the time.
00:50And what they spend.
00:52I thought that was a month.
00:53And thanks to some clever hacks
00:55and easy to follow recipes.
00:57Well done, mate!
00:58We'll save them time.
01:00When in life does someone give you
01:01three weeks of your life back?
01:03And money.
01:04That's a good holiday, isn't it?
01:06Revolutionising their meal times.
01:08What do we think, boys?
01:09Amazing.
01:10Can we have this tomorrow?
01:12If you can't beat it, batch it.
01:15All you can't see is ever going back.
01:18It's life changing, isn't it?
01:19Definitely.
01:19It's a hug and a ball.
01:21Aw, come here.
01:29This week, Suzanne and I are heading north of the border.
01:32Hello, Joel.
01:33Hello, Suzanne.
01:34So why have you brought me here?
01:35This is Aberdeen University.
01:37It's my old stomping ground.
01:38I bet this place can tell a story or two about you.
01:41Come on, what did you study?
01:42Advanced freezer filling?
01:43Not quite, but I'm ready to teach someone else the tricks of the trade.
01:46So who's the student?
01:47We're meeting Vicky.
01:48She's a single mum of six.
01:49Kids are not eating as healthy as she wants them to.
01:52And what with money and time against her,
01:54she's finding it really hard.
01:55There's more than two million single parents facing the same battle.
01:58I think with a batch cooking timetable,
02:00we can get this family cooking smarter, not harder.
02:03Lovely.
02:03Lead the way, Professor Batch.
02:11For mum of six, Vicky,
02:14home life is never boring.
02:20They are full of energy all the time.
02:23It's forever mum, mum, mum, mum, mum.
02:30There's Caitlin, who's 17.
02:32My eldest, she comes and goes quite a lot.
02:35Action!
02:36Keira, 15.
02:38Logan is 11.
02:40Esme is 9.
02:43Jacob is 8.
02:45And Aidan is 6.
02:49I know how to cook.
02:51Plain pasta.
02:52Pizza, steak.
02:55And pizza.
02:57It's just chaos every second of every day.
03:00Esme, do you have PE today?
03:03I don't know.
03:04Ask my teacher, not me.
03:08Managing a big and busy household is one thing.
03:11Logan, stop!
03:13We're arguing.
03:14But throwing work as well,
03:16and life is nothing short of chaotic.
03:18I'm a pupil support assistant,
03:20so I help support teachers with the children's learning.
03:24I try and do four days work because there's always jobs to do,
03:28and I need that day to keep on top of the house.
03:31Mum, can I please have a spoon?
03:33Yes.
03:35She always seems to be doing something.
03:38Keira, we're going to do supper.
03:41Anywhere throughout the day that she could just take a break for herself would be great.
03:46Logan, could you grab some tatties out of the fridge, please?
03:49Some days I feel like I'm going to have a nervous breakdown.
03:57Guys!
03:57You can get them for snacks for school,
03:59but no, we're not getting them.
04:01No.
04:0385p.
04:03I know that feeding six kids can be pricey.
04:07But as a single income household,
04:10budgeting is even more important.
04:12I don't have the funds to allow for the food wastage.
04:15If you're not going to eat it, I'm not going to cook it.
04:18So that's probably why the convenience food has come into it all.
04:25You know, I would love to be able to eat as a family,
04:29and it's one meal, not like four different meals every night.
04:33And it's not just the chaotic dinners and the busy household causing problems.
04:37The kids' diet does worry me because they do like sugar, honey, sweets.
04:44I do want to cut down the sugar a lot in the house.
04:49The daily pressures of raising six children, running a house,
04:53and having her own life are all taking their toll on mum Vicky.
04:57I feel like everybody's judging me because I'm a single mum with six kids
05:01and, you know, obviously the divorce.
05:03Life at home is definitely not what I dreamed of.
05:07It's hard, but yeah, everything I do for life is for my kids.
05:12We can't afford holidays and things, but if they want a day out and that,
05:16then I'll make sure we can try and go for days out.
05:19And if that means I go without, it's a shame, but they've enjoyed it.
05:23It's really tough and I try and keep smiling and keep going and you've just got to.
05:32It sounds like Vicky is in desperate need of some support.
05:36Oh, here we are.
05:37So, with the house empty, we're going to have a little snoop around
05:40and try and figure out how we can help her.
05:43Oh, this one looks like my ass in the morning after a crazy school run.
05:50Oh, no. It's a weekly planner on the fridge.
05:53I like that, although it's empty.
05:55Yeah. I mean, it might as well not be there.
05:57The planner might be empty, but could it be a sign of potential?
06:02What have we got in here? Consigned it or not?
06:05Oh, my God. I've never seen one this big before.
06:08This is my favourite thing in the kitchen. I love this. It's my favourite.
06:11Really? What would you call it? A kitchen tool?
06:14It's a, yeah, rubber spatula.
06:17I've never seen one that big before.
06:18Or you can call it a kitchen tool.
06:20I'm so impressed with this kitchen tool.
06:23Moving swiftly on, Jo.
06:25And I've found a cupboard for you.
06:27Ooh. Biscuit sweets drawer.
06:29We've got Jaffa cakes. We've got biscuits. We've got more biscuits.
06:32We've got Doritos. My God, this cupboard keeps going.
06:37How do they fit all of this in one little cupboard?
06:43Oh, wow. Look at that. If there's ever an Armageddon...
06:47Yeah.
06:47..you're going to be all right in this kitchen, aren't you?
06:49Yeah.
06:49You know, that is things that don't go off, can be used at any time.
06:53This is almost like a healthier version of the sweet cupboard.
06:56Yeah.
06:56But that cupboard over there has definitely got to go.
06:58The cupboard's are overflowing.
07:00Dun-dun-dun!
07:02Which is more than can be said for the fridge.
07:06I mean, the glaringly obvious thing for me is, it's a huge fridge.
07:11Hasn't got a lot of food in there.
07:13That's what I was thinking.
07:15Theresa, what have we got?
07:18Oh, we've got the inevitable chicken nuggets,
07:22beer-battered fish, quarter-pounders.
07:25There's definitely lots of convenience foods in here.
07:28A lack of food in the fridge and cupboards bursting with biscuits.
07:32I think it's time we met this family.
07:35And with the eldest daughter, Caitlin, at work,
07:37six out of seven ain't bad.
07:39Hello, you lot!
07:40Hello!
07:41How are you?
07:42Come in, come in, there's loads of you!
07:44So, tell us what is going on here.
07:47We're struggling with routine and getting everybody to eat healthily.
07:53The kids all eat different times, different foods.
07:57And, yeah, it's a struggle.
08:00It's chaotic.
08:01It is chaotic.
08:02Goodbye.
08:05To help us understand where things are going wrong for Vicky,
08:08we installed cameras in the kitchen to capture the Mitchell family meal times.
08:13Here we go.
08:18Is this you just in the door feeding everybody?
08:22Look at the balancing of them plates, eh?
08:25With no meal planning in place, Vicky is making multiple dinners
08:29and relying on quick-cook, ultra-processed food.
08:32So, how many different meals are we cooking here tonight?
08:34I can see pizza.
08:36Yeah, this one's quite a few.
08:37Kebabs.
08:37There was some nuggets.
08:38Yeah.
08:39Four, maybe, five.
08:42You're like a restaurant and you just take orders.
08:45Yeah.
08:45As well as quick dinners, our cameras revealed that the Mitchell's diet
08:49is heavily reliant on sugar.
08:53He's got a banana milkshake.
08:54Yeah.
08:55And he's added three spoonfuls, four spoonfuls of chocolate powder to that.
08:59Yeah.
09:01Woo!
09:02Yeah, baby!
09:03It's nice.
09:05This was my favourite.
09:07Oh, no.
09:08This I've never seen before.
09:09I couldn't work out what she was making.
09:11So, there's two huge heaps of brown sugar.
09:14And they're tablespoons.
09:15I think it's a cake in a mug.
09:18No.
09:19No, it's not.
09:20Oh, it's a caramel latte or something.
09:21No, it's just sugar milk.
09:24She was just adding sugar to her milk.
09:27To sweeten the milk up.
09:28Oh, my goodness.
09:29OK.
09:30I knew that they love sugar and snacks, but it was a bit scary.
09:35So, it's really interesting to see what you eat, because I actually...
09:38I don't know how you keep going all day.
09:41Biscuits.
09:42Yeah.
09:43Oh, my...
09:46Biscuits.
09:46Coffee.
09:47Biscuits.
09:48Coffee.
09:49By putting everyone else first, Vicky is left with no time to take care of her own nutrition,
09:54relying on quick fixies.
09:56There is sausage casserole, chips, and then some sausage sandwich.
10:02I think that's mine, yeah.
10:03I was just all quick on the go while they were all...
10:07Everybody else had a plate and a proper meal in front of them,
10:10and you get leftover to end sausages and a piece of white bread sat at the end of the table.
10:16To get Vicky and the kids back on track, we analysed their shopping and cooking habits.
10:21So, at the minute, you're spending £174.38.
10:26Yeah, that's quite a bit, is it, when you see it on paper.
10:29You're spending 18 hours and 42 minutes a week cooking, shopping and preparing food.
10:36I need to cut that down.
10:37And when it comes to your diet, you're only achieving a nutritionally balanced diet 38% of the time.
10:45Vicky's weekly spend might be good, but it's what she's getting for her money that we need to work on.
10:49When you look at the amount of time you're shopping, cooking and preparing food,
10:54and you compare it to your nutritionist level...
10:57Yeah.
10:57So, there's a lot of time there you're wasting because you're not getting...
11:00Yeah, not getting the goodness out of it.
11:03Yeah, OK.
11:04A big factor in their low nutrition score is the whole family's addiction to sugar.
11:09Children aged between 7 and 10 shouldn't have any more than 24 grams of added sugar a day,
11:15and for older children, it's about 30 grams.
11:18Your kids are coming in at 80 grams a day of sugar.
11:22OK.
11:24Wow.
11:25That's a lot of sugar.
11:27The Mitchells' non-stop lives have come at a cost to their health.
11:33I didn't realise how bad it was getting.
11:36It's quite upsetting.
11:37I feel awful.
11:39I feel quite a bad mum, actually.
11:42It's a really rare situation to be a single mum and have six kids.
11:46Me and Stacey struggle, and we've got both of us.
11:50It's really hard, but it's going to be weaning these kids off of sugar.
11:53They're on over 80 grams of sugar a day.
11:55It's going to be tough.
12:04We're in Aberdeen.
12:06Keira, you come in to help me, please.
12:09Helping single mum of six, Vicky, get some control back in the kitchen.
12:13Mango, pineapple or strawberry?
12:16Strawberry, please.
12:16A busy household has led to chaotic meal times and a heavy reliance on highly processed meals
12:22and a lot of sugar.
12:25But before we can get started on cleaning up their meal times, we need to clean up their kitchen.
12:31So whilst mum's out of the house, I've roped in some helpers to get this kitchen in check.
12:36I thought that we could give your mum a surprise and do a little bit of a kitchen tidy while
12:41she's away.
12:42What do you think?
12:43I don't like tidying.
12:44But you'll be so good at it.
12:47While Suzanne tries to get Logan involved...
12:50Oh, Logan, you're doing good.
12:52Vicky and I are going shopping.
12:53Let's get ourselves a trolley.
12:55Yeah.
12:57So tell me about your shopping habits at the minute.
13:00I take the kids, which is a disaster.
13:02There's no power like pester power.
13:04So the fewer times you go shopping, the more money you're saving.
13:09Suzanne's list is going to be Vicky's best friend.
13:11Helping her keep on track and on budget.
13:14Alright, so I thought we'd start at the fruit and veg show.
13:17Talk to me about what the kids like, what the kids don't like.
13:22They like cucumber, tomatoes, but mainly if I cut it up.
13:28I think things like these baby cucumbers are perfect.
13:31No need to prepare these.
13:33They're a quick and healthy snack that the kids can help themselves to.
13:36Kids these days have got willpower and you can't force them to eat anything they don't want to eat.
13:40Yeah.
13:41If they see you replacing your biscuits with a healthier snack,
13:45they're more likely to do it.
13:47Okay, yeah, sounds good.
13:50The Mitchell kids typically eat a massive 80 grams of sugar per day each.
13:55But by shopping smarter, we can help put a stop to those sugar-filled snacks.
14:01When you're on a budget, tin food is great.
14:03Vicky has a whole cupboard full, but the one thing that's missing is variety.
14:07We've seen the amount of baked beans in your house.
14:10Do you eat any other sort of bean?
14:12Not really, no.
14:13The bean is such a great ingredient.
14:16They're full of fibre.
14:17Great way of bulking up your food.
14:19And did you know the humble bean has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any source of protein?
14:25No, I did not.
14:26Which I'm sure will balance itself out with the amount of farting that will go on in your house after
14:30they eat these.
14:32Next up, the meat aisle, to see if we can bring down the cost of one of the favourite family
14:36staples.
14:37You've got to love a sausage sandwich, didn't you?
14:39Yeah.
14:40So, I found a great way of saving some money.
14:43Okay.
14:43But also giving you some sausages.
14:46Smoked sausages.
14:47Full of flavour.
14:48So a little goes a long way.
14:50You can have it in omelettes, chili con carne.
14:53There's nothing you can't put a smoked sausage in.
14:59Hi.
15:00Nice to see you.
15:03Was that easier, shopping without the kids?
15:06Yes.
15:06Or was it harder, shopping with me?
15:09Well...
15:09See you later.
15:11Bye.
15:12We've done good, didn't we?
15:13We did.
15:13Well done.
15:14The shopping's in the bag.
15:16Let's see how Suzanne and the kids have got on sorting out those cupboards.
15:20Hello.
15:21How are you?
15:22Wow.
15:23Tell me what you've been up to.
15:24Right.
15:24What did we do?
15:25Show Mum the cupboards.
15:27I'm sorry about that.
15:28Before, the cupboards were overflowing with biscuits
15:30and the cutlery drawer was in chaos.
15:34Oh, wow.
15:35Wow.
15:36With snacks now harder to reach, temptation is easier to resist.
15:40Keira has been hard at work as well.
15:42Welcome to your new cutlery drawer.
15:45Oh, that looks different.
15:46Oh, wow.
15:46That is very different.
15:48It looks a lot more organised than it did before.
15:51Well done, you guys.
15:52Yeah.
15:53We're off to a great start, Suzanne.
15:55But before we get stuck into batching with seven people in the house,
15:59I think it's about time we got them all helping out.
16:02Eden, stop it.
16:03Wait there.
16:04Are you gone?
16:05Eden, where are you going?
16:06Eden!
16:07Eden!
16:07Kyra, talk to me.
16:09No.
16:10What's it like in this house at dinner times?
16:12Erm, it's too chaotic.
16:15It's round about the same of what's going on now.
16:18Yeah.
16:18Erm, they're all doing different things, erm, and none of those things are eating their dinner.
16:24OK, so I reckon what we need to do to help Mum out is maybe get us lot in the
16:29kitchen
16:29and do a little bit of cooking, maybe do a little bit of cutting.
16:32Esme, I can teach you how to cut.
16:33I'm the best cutter in England.
16:34No, you're not.
16:35I'm the best chopper in England.
16:36To get Vicky the all-important help she needs at dinner times,
16:41for our first recipe we're going to divide and conquer.
16:44Vicky and I are on the meatball subs and Joe and the kids on salads.
16:48Vicky, you have got a busy house, don't you?
16:52Yes, I do.
16:52So I wanted to give you a recipe that could help all of you, together as a family, sort
16:58of have a fun night.
16:59Sounds good.
17:00It's like what we call a fake away.
17:02Love it.
17:02Absolutely.
17:03Let's do it.
17:04Feeding a family the size of the Mitchells doesn't come cheap.
17:06So instead of using often more expensive pre-made meatballs, we're making our own.
17:12Have you ever skinned a sausage?
17:14No, I don't think so, actually.
17:16Gently just slice down the skin.
17:19It's a great cheap way of making meatballs.
17:23Break your sausage into three and then pinch into shape.
17:26And you could go for meat-free, veggie, chicken sausages, whatever you fancy.
17:31With all my dishes we're doubling the recipe.
17:33Making enough for tonight and one for the freezer, ready for another day.
17:38Start by browning your meatballs.
17:40That's perfect, just give it a good mix around.
17:43Then add in some squeezy garlic and tomato puree for the base of the sauce.
17:47Two of my favourite no-waste and time-saving ingredients.
17:51And then we're going to put in chopped tomatoes.
17:55Season and then add in some oregano.
17:57This is going to make enough for 16 portions, so we're making a lot.
18:01This homemade sauce is perfect for meatballs, but it's just as delicious with pasta.
18:07Versatile, low cost and healthy too.
18:09So that's going to take about 20 minutes to thicken and come together into a beautiful thick tomato sauce.
18:14With our meatballs cooking, it's time for the salad.
18:18Joe, over to you.
18:19Right, so basically guys, what we're going to do is we're going to make a little toppings bar.
18:23So we're going to cut all of our salad and we're going to put each one in each bowl.
18:27Let's start with a cucumber. Who wants to cut a cucumber?
18:31We're going to cut the cucumber and put them in a cucumber bowl.
18:34Oh, that is perfect. Chuck those in there for me.
18:36Cucumber!
18:37This is a fantastic recipe for feeding a large family.
18:40Not only is it nutritious, but it's filling and easy on the wallet too.
18:45Oh, look at that! Great job!
18:47And what's the meatball sub without onions, eh?
18:52This ain't the first time you've cut an onion, is it?
18:54I took Cormac.
18:55Do you want to do an onion?
18:57I want to do an onion!
18:58I want to do an onion.
18:59Competition time.
18:59Alright, I'll get your onions ready.
19:02I can't do it.
19:03Right, come here, let me take the bottom off for you.
19:05Oh, someone pass me a spoon.
19:07Oh, I've got a big...
19:09Who's got a little bit of onion juice in there?
19:10I need a spoon.
19:11Someone pass me a spoon.
19:14I need my glasses.
19:15There's not a bit on your eyes!
19:17There's not a dry eye in the house.
19:19Jacob's eyes stink.
19:21Oh, my eyes.
19:22Oh, my eyes stink.
19:25I'm not sure that's going to help.
19:28It's like being at home.
19:30I would say that this is a job well done.
19:34OK.
19:34Well done, everyone.
19:35Well done, well done, well done.
19:37All we need to do now is tidy up.
19:40Five, four, seven.
19:42With the meatballs cooked, we've cooled half ready for the freezer
19:45and kept the rest warm for now.
19:49Letting everyone build their own at the table
19:51should encourage the kids to try more veg and reach their five a day.
19:55Right, Logan, what I want to see is you take a big bite out of that.
19:59There might still be a few chips, but it's all about moderation.
20:03Your mouth's not big enough.
20:07They all devoured it and had seconds and thirds,
20:10and it was just amazing to see them actually enjoying a meal,
20:14all of us the same meal together.
20:20Sausages are a big part of the Mitchells diet
20:22and they can be a great source of protein.
20:24So over in my test kitchen, I'm going to show Joe another easy way to prepare them
20:29and one which will give Vicky a filling snack from the freezer
20:33for when she's short on time.
20:35Joe, I know you love a sausage roll.
20:37I mean, who doesn't love a sausage roll, eh?
20:39We're going to do two different kinds.
20:40OK.
20:41I'm going to do a Ploughman's one,
20:42but I've given you one that's chorizo and paprika
20:46because I know that you love chorizo.
20:47I do love a chorizo, yeah.
20:49Now, I think it should be a who makes the best sausage roll.
20:53I'm down for a competition.
20:55I am right ready for you.
20:56There it is.
20:57OK, ready roll puff pastry.
20:59First up, let your pastry come to room temperature
21:01whilst you skin your sausages.
21:03On your marks.
21:04Good set.
21:05Peel!
21:06Go, go, go, go, go.
21:07Next, cut the pastry into two strips.
21:10Right.
21:11Excellent.
21:12You need to chop your chorizo.
21:13Okie dokie.
21:14What you want to do is put your sausage meat along the bottom of the strip
21:17because then you're going to fold it over.
21:19OK.
21:19OK.
21:20I'm going to do my chutney first.
21:23Once you've evenly spread your chutney,
21:25add in your sausage meat and then sprinkle with cheese.
21:28I'm going to put a little bit of chorizo
21:29and eat some of my sausages like this, yeah?
21:30Is that right?
21:31Well, good idea.
21:32For the chorizo roll, sprinkle with paprika, then fold over.
21:37Wrap it up like I think my Christmas presents at the end.
21:41I went way too big on the filling, Joe.
21:43Well, you know, your eyes are too big for your belly.
21:46Shouldn't be so greedy.
21:48God, mine looks like a swashy sausage roll.
21:50I think I might have won this one.
21:52Come on!
21:55God, look at the state of yours.
21:58Oh no, there's a paper sticking.
22:00You're making a right pig's ear of that.
22:02Yeah, but whose looks better?
22:04I think mine does.
22:07Once you've joined up your edges,
22:09cover with egg wash and cut to size.
22:12Right, what am I going to do with my flawless sausage rolls?
22:14Let's get them on the trays.
22:15Ready for the oven.
22:16OK.
22:17Or the freezer.
22:19To batch these, flash freeze the sausage rolls on a tray,
22:22then pop into bags once frozen.
22:24Cook for 20 minutes from fresh until crisp and golden
22:28or 30 minutes straight from the freezer.
22:31Oh wow, they look amazing, don't they?
22:33They look really good.
22:35Well, mine look amazing.
22:37Cheers.
22:38Cheers.
22:38Big ears.
22:40Mmm.
22:42Mmm.
22:43I love the treats though in my world.
22:47I really like yours.
22:49Yes!
22:49I know you do!
22:51Victory tastes so sweet.
22:54Good sausage rolls though, Cezanne.
22:56I'll get you next time, swashy.
23:02The financial pressure of running a large household on a single income
23:06is a huge strain on Vicky.
23:08So I'm keen to help her find a way of reducing her food bill
23:12and lessen some of the mental load.
23:15So, what has life been like for the last few years for you?
23:18Well, being now a single mum with six children.
23:22I have had really good times but it's hard.
23:26I've gone into some really lows and struggled a lot trying to maintain all of us together.
23:33I'm very lucky to have a supportive family but budgeting, it's hard.
23:38We have to make do with what we've got.
23:42So we're here to give you a bit of a reset.
23:44What's your goal for the end of this?
23:47To be able to provide more nutritional food for my children.
23:52Budget a lot better.
23:54Save money on my shopping bills.
23:56I would love to be able to take all six of my children on holiday.
24:02We've got the goal.
24:03Yes, we've got the goal so we'll get started at least.
24:06Yeah, thank you. I really need it.
24:09I'm going to show Vicky a brilliant nutritionally dense dish
24:12that ticks all the boxes.
24:14Budget friendly, easy to prepare and a sure-fire crowd pleaser.
24:19Okay, we're going to do a smoky bean cobbler.
24:23So, what's a cobbler?
24:24It's pretty much like a dumpling.
24:25Oh, I love a dumpling.
24:27We're doubling this recipe, making sure Vicky's always got another dinner
24:31in the freezer, ready to go.
24:33And tinned beans are a brilliant way of eating filling nutritious meals on a budget.
24:38This is a perfect one for that end of month
24:41when you're trying to eke out your money before pay day.
24:44To get started, we're using ready chopped frozen onions.
24:48All the flavour, none of the hard work.
24:50While we've got the onion softening, we'll just add the garlic in at the same time.
24:53We're using this puree again just because it's fast.
24:57Add in some paprika and give it a good mix through.
24:59That smells so good.
25:01Just grab the pot now because we're then going to start to add everything else in.
25:07Joe, you can do a few.
25:09Carefully add in six cans of chopped tomatoes.
25:12Oh!
25:13So sorry.
25:17Did I get you?
25:18It's fine.
25:19And then your mixed beans.
25:20Can you be trusted, Mr Swash?
25:23Come on.
25:24Of course I can.
25:24Stand back.
25:26Why do you do everything from a great height?
25:30I don't know, actually.
25:31Yeah.
25:34A little bit of seasoning.
25:36And leave to cook.
25:38Honestly, don't take them anywhere.
25:41Smoked sausage has a stronger flavour, meaning you use less.
25:45So it's better for your health and your wallet.
25:48Right, there we go.
25:50Next up, we're preparing the cheesy dough dumplings for our cobbler top.
25:55My top tip for getting cold butter into flour is to grate it.
25:59There you go.
26:00Then add in your flour.
26:01So you're gently rubbing it together to form a breadcrumb consistency.
26:06That's it.
26:07You've done this before.
26:09Mix through your grated cheese with some water.
26:12From a hype.
26:14As well as adding in comfort, the cobbler top makes the stew more filling.
26:19Helping stave off those sugar cravings.
26:23So what you want to do, Vicky, is you want to cut it into four, please.
26:27Okay.
26:27Thank you very much.
26:28And then if you want to do it that way and that way, that will give you your eight pieces.
26:33Ah, there you go.
26:34Not just a pretty face.
26:38Freeze half the stew for another night.
26:40Perfect to serve on rice or jacket potatoes.
26:43Just use your trusty spoon.
26:45With the remaining half, just add our cobbler top ready for the oven.
26:49Shall I chuck it in?
26:55After about half an hour, your cobbler will be ready.
26:58It's like a big bun.
27:00Smells delicious.
27:03It's smoky, beany.
27:05Cobbly.
27:07It's very nice.
27:09It's like a cheesy scone on top, isn't it?
27:12Scone.
27:13You're in Scotland now, thank you very much.
27:16Vicky is a single mum and from the moment those kids wake up, they all go and they don't stop
27:21until bedtime.
27:22It is really hard work for her.
27:24What Jo and I are here to do is just to help with some of those challenges.
27:28And that one being what's for dinner every single night.
27:43In Aberdeen, we're helping the Mitchells, a family short on time with a diet crammed full of ultra processed food
27:49and sugary snacks.
27:51Aidan, you're supposed to twist this bit off.
27:56As a single parent of six, mum Vicky's juggling more than most, but the support she needs might be closer
28:03than she thinks.
28:04Tell me about your mum's cooking. What's your mum's cooking like? Is she good or bad?
28:08Yeah, she's like an okay cook, but it's mainly just sausages or pizzas because she doesn't have a lot of
28:15time.
28:15Yeah. Do you think you and Logan could probably do a little bit more to maybe help mum out?
28:19Yeah, I hope we can.
28:21I can only imagine it being quite an overwhelming feeling knowing that every day you've got to make seven meals
28:27three times a day.
28:29I'm trying to help my mum at the table because she never gets to sit down and enjoy it with
28:34everyone.
28:36When I'm, like, telling Aidan to just try it or, you know, telling Logan to stop screaming at Jacob, like,
28:43she's not, like, telling me to do all this stuff.
28:46It's just I feel like I have to because I know how tired my mum is.
28:51Mm. So...
28:52I can really relate to you because my dad wasn't around when I was a kid.
28:57So I had to sort of step up to the plate a little bit more because I was the oldest
29:01sibling to help mum a little bit.
29:03And I feel like you're sort of doing the same.
29:05Yeah.
29:05You should be really proud of yourself because you're taking on a lot of responsibility.
29:10So hopefully if we can get this batch cookie moving in the right direction, not only will it free up
29:14some time for your mum, but hopefully it will free up some time for you.
29:18They're lucky to have you, them kids.
29:26For our third and final cook, I'm getting Keira and Vicky in the kitchen together to prepare a simple but
29:32comforting pasta dish.
29:34We are making chicken parmigiana.
29:36Ooh. Delicious.
29:37Lovely.
29:39Basically like a giant chicken nugget.
29:41Oh, lovely.
29:42That's the best way to describe it.
29:43Wow.
29:43That's what we're going to tell your kids.
29:45Right, shall we get started?
29:47Put your pack there.
29:48To make this recipe stretch even further, we're going to start by slicing the chicken breast in half.
29:53Oh, that's perfect, Keira.
29:55Look at that.
29:56Oh, I'm going to tell you.
29:57Once you've prepped your chicken, it's time to prepare my easy tomato sauce.
30:02So this is the same tomato sauce as we made for the meatball subs, so we may as well just
30:07throw it all in the pan.
30:08To six cans of chopped tomatoes, add tomato puree, oregano and a squeeze of garlic.
30:13That is one easy sauce to make.
30:16Not just easy, Jo, but low cost as well.
30:19With the sauce bubbling away on the hob, it's back to the chicken.
30:22Right, ladies, are you ready?
30:23Yes.
30:24Get set, bash.
30:28Flattening the chicken breast stretches it further and makes it cook quicker.
30:32That's it.
30:33See how big it gets?
30:34Yeah.
30:34Look at that, that's what you want.
30:37Right, girls, is this a good stress reliever?
30:39Oh, yes.
30:40I'll be in here every night doing chicken.
30:43You can easily swap out the chicken in this recipe for pork or turkey, which would make it even more
30:48cost-effective.
30:49So now we've got that done, we're just going to breadcrumb them and it's a three-stage process.
30:55Eggs, flour and breadcrumbs.
30:58Oh, if you've got three stations, why don't we get Logan-ing?
31:00Logan!
31:01Do you fancy helping?
31:03Yeah.
31:04Right, go and wash your hands and we can bread some chicken.
31:07Right, before we get started, we're going to put the spaghetti on.
31:10Do you know the trick of opening spaghetti?
31:12There is a trick, yeah.
31:14Bash it really hard.
31:15There seems to be a lot of bashing in this recipe, Suzanne.
31:18Oh, yeah, we need this.
31:19We're venting frustration.
31:21One, two, three.
31:23Woo-hoo!
31:23Look at that!
31:25That's how you do it.
31:27Get the pasta on the hob and start breading your chicken.
31:29We're adding some oregano and paprika to the flour to add some extra flavour.
31:34Logan, do you like working in the kitchen?
31:35I love working in the kitchen, yeah.
31:37Do you?
31:37What do you make?
31:38I make French toast, I make omelettes, I make pasta and hot chocolate.
31:46Well done, I'm really impressed with that.
31:48On you go.
31:49This is all about working as a team.
31:52This is going to taste amazing.
31:54OK, Kira.
31:56That's it, we've got a production line going, that's it.
32:00That's it, Kira, just pass it.
32:02To batch this recipe, freeze your bready chicken raw.
32:05Put a piece of greaseproof paper between each one.
32:08This stops them sticking together and makes portioning them easier too.
32:12Then freeze alongside the sauce once it's cooled.
32:16Pop your chicken on a tray and into the oven for 25 minutes.
32:22We're having spaghetti and chicken parmigiano.
32:26Lovely.
32:27Let's go, come on you lot.
32:28Yay!
32:30Finally.
32:32What do we think boys?
32:33Amazing.
32:34Mmm, that's lovely.
32:36This is probably going to be a favourite in this house,
32:38because everyone likes spaghetti and pasta and everyone likes chicken.
32:40I think the food is a complete success.
32:43It's really fun being in the kitchen with my mum and my sister Kira,
32:47because we make a good team.
32:49Is there any more food left?
32:51Because it's amazing.
32:55Lovely.
32:58I'm confident that batching is going to be the secret
33:01to successful family meal times in this house,
33:03by making sure that there's always a good meal ready at a moment's notice.
33:09Over in my test kitchen, I want to show Joe
33:12that even the most time-poor families
33:14can still batch cook healthy meals from scratch.
33:18Joe, batching is all about being super efficient,
33:21and I want to show you how in less than an hour
33:23we can make ten meals for a family of four.
33:26I mean, if you can do this, that would be incredible.
33:29We're making chilli, spag ball, minced tacos, meatballs and burgers.
33:35Doubling the portions as we go, so we're left with ten family meals.
33:39To start, we're using ready chopped onions.
33:41OK? OK.
33:42Ready prepared, so no tears in sight.
33:45There's nothing better than the smell of onions.
33:48Allow to brown before adding in your beef mints.
33:50Oh, to have a glamorous assistant.
33:53It makes my job so much easier.
33:55Oh, you're talking about me!
33:56With the mints cooking away,
33:58it's time to get our sauce ready for the bolognese, chilli and meatballs.
34:02How much easier is it with the ring pulls?
34:04I know.
34:05Remember back in the day, getting the can open up.
34:07So if you're on a really tight budget, I would use no ring pulls.
34:11So you're basically paying a couple of more pence for the efficiency.
34:14Exactly.
34:16Add in some tomato puree, squeezy garlic and herbs.
34:19It just smells so good already, doesn't it?
34:21It really does.
34:23Give it a stir around.
34:24You'll see that we've managed to make our tomato sauce
34:26at the same time as browning our mints.
34:29These recipes are all about maximising limited time
34:32to get as many healthy home cooked meals in the freezer as possible.
34:36We're going to leave that to bubble away.
34:39Next, we're adding in lentils.
34:40This not only bulks out the dish,
34:42but they're budget friendly and a great source of protein as well.
34:45We're now going to make burgers.
34:47Brilliant.
34:47Ready?
34:48I'm ready. I was born ready.
34:49Mix together the mints, egg, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
34:54Can you tell me when to stop, yeah?
34:57That's you.
34:59That's you, Joe.
34:59I'm sorry.
35:02There we go.
35:03Lovely jubbly.
35:04Next shape into patties.
35:06You can add whatever flavourings you like to your burgers.
35:09Herbs, garlic.
35:13These are going to go straight into freezer bags, ready for freezing.
35:16Brilliant.
35:16We've got eight burgers we've made.
35:18Yep.
35:19We've got the chilli con carne.
35:20Yep.
35:21We've got the spaghetti bolognese and the...
35:25Minced tacos.
35:26And the minced tacos.
35:27All on the go nearly done.
35:29And no time check.
35:30We haven't even hit 20 minutes yet.
35:32With the burgers done, it's time for the meatballs.
35:36OK.
35:36The rest of the mince goes in the bowl.
35:38One egg.
35:41Italian herbs.
35:43And then, Joe.
35:44Ah.
35:45And with the hands.
35:46Here we go.
35:48Ah.
35:49We're making 24 meatballs, which will make two family portions of this dish.
35:56We're going to make 12 each.
35:5812 each.
35:59OK.
36:00Pop your meatballs into freezer bags and that's another two dinners done.
36:04We're on fire.
36:06Absolute fire.
36:07I feel like we could have a cup of tea.
36:08Sit down and have a cup of tea and pick this up in a minute.
36:10With our burgers and meatballs done, it's time to finish off our tacos.
36:14We're going to take some of this minced beef out for the minced tacos.
36:18OK.
36:18Add in two packets of fajita mix, combine and then set aside to cool.
36:23It really is that easy.
36:25Tacos are done.
36:26Now let's move on.
36:27We want to add our sauce to our mince because we're going to use this pot to make our spaghetti
36:31bolognese and our chilli.
36:33OK.
36:34Set aside a third of your sauce for your meatballs, then pour the rest into the mince.
36:39Oh.
36:40Oh my god.
36:42It's got a life of its own, innit?
36:44OK.
36:45There we go.
36:46Mix it through and your bolognese is done.
36:49We're now going to take about a third of it out and we're going to turn it into our chilli.
36:54For the chilli, add kidney beans, chilli powder and cumin.
36:58So that's our chilli and our spaghetti bolognese done.
37:00We're just going to leave them to cool and then we'll bag them up.
37:03Let's have a little time check, shall we?
37:05You've done 10 mils in 42 minutes.
37:08You know what that means?
37:11I'm doing the dishes.
37:13That's 10 mils, batched for the freezer in under one hour.
37:16Simply serve with store cupboard sides for a quick nutritious dinner.
37:23When we first met Vicky and the children, dinner times were a disaster.
37:28With limited time and money, not to mention all those mouths to feed, Vicky was left throwing
37:33together different meals as quickly as possible.
37:35This is weird.
37:36Usually Kira has someone sitting down.
37:38Yeah, I know.
37:39Often resulting in nutritionally poor dinners and a heavy reliance on snacks.
37:44Logan, Kira, you want pasta?
37:46To help the Mitchells get back on track and in control of their food and their budget,
37:52I've created a 28 day balanced meal plan.
37:55It looks great.
37:57Pizzas have been replaced by healthy, wholesome, home cooked meals like my chunky vegetable soup
38:02and Vicky's bean cobbler.
38:04We've got things like pasta in here as well that's using the sauce that we used from the
38:09meatball subs.
38:10So you're able to have a different dinner with some of the sauce that we've already made.
38:14With the chicken parmigiana and the meatball subs already batched in the freezer, the family
38:19are off to a flying start.
38:21And a lot of what you're doing in week one is you're doubling up and batching so that as
38:25you get to the end of the month, you can live out of the freezer if you feel like money's
38:28really tight.
38:29Vicky, I'm super excited for you and the kids.
38:31I think this is just a reset that you guys needed.
38:34And if you can stick to it, there's going to be so many gains.
38:38Yeah, definitely.
38:39Let's hope I can stick to it and the kids eat what I make.
38:44When Jo and I first arrived, Vicky really felt like she was on her own holding this whole
38:49ship up.
38:49And I'd say she's excited now to feel like she's got a team with the older kids around
38:54her that can help her.
38:55Good luck.
38:58I'm very excited to give it a go and definitely batching.
39:02And I think that'll take a lot of pressure off of me.
39:04We're going to save money and we're going to be a more healthy family.
39:15When the Mitchell family called us in, their meal times were all over the shop.
39:19Logan, don't get involved, Logan, please.
39:23A house full of kids and a tight budget meant mum Vicky was reliant on quick but heavily
39:28processed dinners.
39:30And our camera's uncovered some shocking stats.
39:34Your kids are coming in at 80 grams of added sugar a day.
39:37OK.
39:38To help Vicky save time and money, we left her with a 28-day batch cooking meal plan to
39:44help her get back on track.
39:46As you get to the end of the month, you can live out of the freezer if you feel like
39:49money's really tight.
39:50And if they stick to it, the changes could be life changing.
40:01It's been two weeks since we left the Mitchells.
40:0416 sausages, but I'm doubling the quantity so I can put some in the freezer for a later date.
40:12I think I'm going to need a bigger bowl.
40:16It's great to see Vicky getting ahead of the week by batching my delicious sausage
40:20tray bake.
40:21So I'll put these in the freezer.
40:26And it's not just in the kitchen where things are looking up.
40:30We have our shopping list for the week.
40:33Kira and I are going to attempt to get the full week shopping under budget.
40:38We taught them that by sticking to a list, they can not only curb their snacks, but also
40:43save a little extra cash too.
40:45I think we're a good team.
40:46We can do this.
40:48I couldn't agree more, Kira.
40:50Kids love bananas.
40:51Grab some bananas, Kira.
40:53One of the best ways to cut out the sugary snacks is to always have healthy options on
40:58hand.
40:59Can we make the chicken thing?
41:01Chicken parmigiana?
41:02Yeah.
41:02Yeah?
41:03I knew they'd love my chicken parmigiana.
41:06An easy, wallet-friendly crowd pleaser.
41:09Get a couple of pots.
41:10I'll do three.
41:11Keeps longer, so yeah, perfect.
41:13And I'm pleased to see Vicky stocking up on tins too.
41:16Yeah, so if we make that chicken pot, we could get three for the actual main meal and
41:21then we could get another three and do some batch.
41:23Yeah, so we can just make a double again.
41:25Freezer, yeah.
41:26And batch that.
41:26That's a good idea.
41:28Kira is all over this.
41:30It's great to see her getting stuck in.
41:32So we've got to make chicken parmigiana, chicken hot pot, put some in the freezer.
41:38That's like three, four things we can do with the chicken.
41:40They're actually cheaper for the bigger packs, probably just as well, to get two of these.
41:46Uh, sure.
41:48And even budgeting on the flyer too.
41:51Great work.
41:52So that's £79.16, thank you.
41:54Wow.
41:55Thank you very much.
41:57I think that's us done.
41:58Excellent.
41:59Let's go.
42:03Mum, can we have something with chicken and Yorkies for dinner?
42:07Okay.
42:08Well.
42:08Let's do this with potatoes.
42:09Esme and Jacob using our potatoes.
42:11Logan, can you help me with the chicken and the sauce, please?
42:14Okay, now let's go.
42:15No.
42:15A lack of time in planning meant Vicky was spending over 18 hours a week in the kitchen.
42:21Oh!
42:21Oh no!
42:23Potato!
42:23Esme!
42:25But with everyone now mucking in to help, she's carved out time to plan and is finally
42:30able to enjoy dinner time with her family.
42:33So before I was cooking about four or five different meals a night and it was just ridiculous.
42:38So getting this help has been such a game changer.
42:43Did you butter the potatoes?
42:45Yeah.
42:45Did you butter the carrots?
42:46Yeah.
42:49It is nice when we all get to sit down as a family.
42:56Especially when my mum joins in at the table.
42:58Thank you very much for helping with the supper children.
43:02It's lovely.
43:16I want to let it out!
43:19I want to eat more than I was before.
43:21I'm enjoying it 100%.
43:24When we arrived, the Mitchell children were eating 80 grams of sugar a day.
43:28But that seems to be a thing of the past.
43:31It's actually been easier than I thought.
43:33They still get a snack, but the majority of time it is fruit.
43:36Who would like some cream cheese?
43:39Obviously Aidan's a bit younger.
43:41He likes his chocolate, but we're working on it slowly but surely.
43:44You can't win them all, all the time, but I'd say that's pretty good going.
43:49What?
43:49I love you.
43:50What?
43:51What?
43:55What?
43:57What?
43:59What?
43:59What?
43:59Well, I want to show her just how much of a difference sticking to our batching plan will make to
44:04their lives.
44:05Hey Vicky.
44:07Hey.
44:07How's it been since we left?
44:09Everything's been going really well.
44:11The batch cooking is going to really help our lives out.
44:14Well, talk about helping your lives out, I've come here to give you an added incentive.
44:19Okay.
44:19If you stick to our batch cooking plan for a year, these are the new stats.
44:24Shall we have a little look?
44:25Yes.
44:25Okay.
44:26Here we go.
44:27Dun, dun, dun!
44:30Wow.
44:31So if you stick to the batch cooking for the next 12 months, you will make a yearly saving
44:35of £2,068.
44:38That's a family holiday.
44:39That certainly is.
44:40Yeah.
44:42Seeing the amount of money I could save was really great.
44:46I can even look to the future.
44:49You know, hopefully we can all go on holiday together.
44:52You are a lady, very short of time.
44:54Now, if you stick to this plan, you'll see a saving of 435 hours, which is 18 days.
45:01Wow.
45:02That's amazing.
45:04You've got yourself a holiday.
45:05Yeah.
45:05And now you've got yourself 18 days away.
45:09Wow.
45:09It's brilliant.
45:10But the most important thing was your nutrition level.
45:1475% less added sugar in your diet.
45:18Can you imagine?
45:19The kids won't be bouncing off the walls.
45:21It's definitely the motivation I needed to get the kids back on track.
45:25You've got the most beautiful family and hopefully, you know, you'll be doing this for years to come.
45:31I hope so.
45:32Thank you so much.
45:33All right.
45:33See you later, Vicky.
45:34Thank you so much.
45:35Take care.
45:37I think batch cooking is going to change my life.
45:39Now I think with the children, they can help me in the kitchen with teamwork rather than just mum work.
45:45I can do this, or we can do this.
45:47Long way to continue.
45:49Vicky's saving so much time, which is so important.
45:52Time is precious.
45:53But more importantly, we've got the nutrient levels right up again.
45:56So I feel like me and Suzanne, we came, we saw, and we conquered.
46:01Next time.
46:03A complete lack of cooking skills.
46:05I have never been so frustrated watching you cut an onion.
46:10Leads to bad habits and mealtime tension.
46:13You've got burnt pizza, and then you've got burnt chips.
46:16So we go back to basics.
46:18That's it.
46:18I'm so burnt!
46:25Well, it's matchmaking done altogether differently.
46:28Hoping to find forever friendships and new pooch parents in the doghouse.
46:32A new series tomorrow from eight.
46:34The penultimate stage of the contest and the final five couples next.
46:38But when you're handcuffed, who will be the last pair standing?
46:41May husband Sanchez.
46:44Ok.
46:46Great тобой!
46:50Yay!
46:51Bye!
46:52married man.
46:53We will always tune
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