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00:00I'm Jo Swash, and as a busy parent of six kids, I know getting tasty, healthy food on
00:06the table can be tough.
00:08Right kids, come on, dinner's ready!
00:11Usually this place looks like a bomb's gone off on it.
00:14No!
00:14That's not for you!
00:16So, I've teamed up with the Batch Lady, best-selling author Suzanne Mulholland, where I show you
00:21how to make fast, simple, homemade meals you can put in the freezer.
00:24She's built up a huge online following, with tricks to saving time in the kitchen.
00:29And there you have it, a meal for four, made in three minutes.
00:33We'll help struggling households.
00:35You only have two!
00:36Oh God.
00:38Who find mealtimes a daily battle.
00:41In seven days, you have eaten seven pizzas.
00:44Wow, that's awful.
00:45By analysing every meal they eat.
00:47Oh, I know.
00:48Any cereal without sugar.
00:50Every minute they waste.
00:52You'll be saving, every year, 20 days.
00:55That's insane.
00:56And every pound they overspend.
00:58When you do it like that, it does look awful.
01:01I'll show you my stress-busting recipes.
01:03No, this is a proper macaroni cheese.
01:06Reveal some clever hacks.
01:08I still can't believe we made six meals.
01:10And create monthly meal plans that'll change lives forever.
01:14Yeah, can we do this more, please?
01:17If you can't beat it, batch it.
01:19It's coming over to the batch inside, Suzanne.
01:22Another one.
01:29Today, I'm meeting Suzanne in the east of England.
01:32To meet a family whose mealtimes are in crisis.
01:35Hello, Suzanne.
01:36Hello.
01:37Welcome to Cambridge, home to the world-famous university.
01:40He also lays claim to being the birthplace of football.
01:44Right, we'll have a kick around later.
01:46But first, tell me about the family.
01:47So, we're meeting the Knight family.
01:49Dad, Darren, is a single parent or two.
01:51And he's a teacher.
01:52And I think the stress of working full-time and having the kids
01:55means he doesn't think about what he's cooking from day to day.
01:58And he ends up making the same thing over and over.
02:00Yeah, juggling everything often means that there's just no space
02:03for creativity at all.
02:05And in fact, 59% of the population end up having the same repertoire
02:08of six meals over and over and over again.
02:10Well, I'm sure there's something we can do about that.
02:13Let's go batching.
02:13Come on.
02:17Oh, my God!
02:19Oh, my God!
02:20For single dad, Darren, family time is the most important part of the day.
02:25I look forward to sitting down with my kids, finding out about their day,
02:30having a few games and having a bit of a chat.
02:32I feel like dads are, like, really funny.
02:34He makes me laugh all the time.
02:36Tune up.
02:37What? How's I going to win?
02:39When you want to start playing, guys, just let me know, please.
02:40For three years, Darren, 13-year-old Henry and 10-year-old Megan have been a team.
02:46Sorry, Megs.
02:47It's hard being a single dad, but I wouldn't change anything about it.
02:52And Megs, I need more washing.
02:54Juggling his full-time teaching job and family life can be draining.
02:59I think my dad's very tired.
03:00I can tell in his face that he just wants no break and just sleep.
03:06Mealtimes have become boring and repetitive.
03:09Dad, what's for dinner?
03:11We've got pizza and you've got waffles.
03:14OK.
03:15I don't really have any high hopes about the food.
03:18Timer for five minutes, please.
03:20This is probably going to be something that we had last week
03:24or maybe a few nights ago.
03:26The kids might be tough critics, but Darren is trying his best.
03:30You're going to finish off and do this bit then.
03:32We've got one minute, 27 seconds to get it done.
03:34Go, go, go.
03:35You just get on that kind of wheel and just keep on doing it.
03:38And I just don't feel I have the time to come up with new recipes.
03:43Dad, the timer.
03:45Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming.
03:47With not a second to spare, Darren is relying on sauce jars and convenience food.
03:52I just can't spend ages in the kitchen every night because there's so many other jobs to actually do.
03:58Normally when I see my dad in the kitchen, he doesn't really look that happy.
04:04He's all stressed and stuff.
04:07OK, Hen, Meg's dinner's ready.
04:09Having a single parent income, I have to be really careful with the budget that I've got for food.
04:13It would be good if I could cut that down a bit more.
04:17OK, so out of ten, what would you give this meal?
04:21Um, seven.
04:25Why not ten?
04:27It's pretty basic.
04:28We always have it.
04:30OK.
04:31I do need help.
04:33It's been three years into being a single dad cooking and I've got to the point where I just don't
04:39know where else to go.
04:44We've Darren and the kids out of the house.
04:46Shall we see where anybody's in?
04:48We want to find out how we can save Darren from his mealtime doom loop.
04:53Oh, I love that they've got a big table to eat round.
04:57Yeah, a nice family table.
04:58Yeah.
04:59Ooh, we've got a bit of maths going on.
05:01Oh, I haven't done maths since I was at school.
05:03There's loads of maths here, look.
05:05Oh.
05:06Put it back, put it back.
05:06Sorry.
05:08There's the kitchen.
05:09Shall we have a look?
05:10I will.
05:10You go first.
05:12I'm small.
05:14I'm only five foot.
05:16You've got quite a good wingspan over there, Susan.
05:18Yeah.
05:18I could pretty much not move in this kitchen and still get around it.
05:22It's very compact.
05:23In such a small kitchen, we need to check every space is being used efficiently.
05:29First stop, the freezer.
05:31Oh.
05:32I'll hold on to that if you want.
05:34Let me hold on to that.
05:35We've got a few rogue peas.
05:37Oh.
05:37I don't want to hold on to that one at all.
05:40Susan, we're meant to be fixing the kitchen, not breaking it.
05:43Oh, yeah.
05:43Hold that one as well.
05:44Okay, we might have to fix the freezer, I think.
05:46If it was a little bit more gentle, you would have broken them in the first place.
05:51We've got some pizzas, some chicken dippers, Kiev, so we've got a lot of convenience food going on there.
05:57We need to break Darren's dependence on these ultra-processed foods, as well as bring some order to the place.
06:04I mean, it's quite messy in there, isn't it?
06:06I think they could definitely be using the space slightly more efficiently than that.
06:11It's all sort of thrown in.
06:13Not a great start in the freezer.
06:15Oh.
06:16Let's see if the fridge is more organised and full of fresh ingredients.
06:20Is that blueberries?
06:22Look.
06:22Is that no blueberries?
06:23Picture days.
06:24Let's hope the cupboards are looking better.
06:27So, I'd say this cupboard is quite full.
06:29It's quite heavy for this little shelf.
06:32I'll soon get Darren swapping these jars for some healthy homemade alternatives.
06:35Let's have a quick look at some of the drawers.
06:39In a small kitchen like this, not an inch of space can be wasted.
06:43That's the odds and sods.
06:44I mean, there's quite a lot of random bits and bobs going on in this drawer, isn't there?
06:49Electric pump.
06:50This is definitely the junk drawer.
06:52A lot of stuff in this drawer does not need to be in the kitchen.
06:56And with all that convenience food in the freezer and cupboard,
06:59it's clear Darren's in desperate need of our help.
07:02Hello.
07:03Hello.
07:04Hello.
07:05Hello.
07:05How are you?
07:06Hi.
07:08So, Darren, tell us about meal times in your house.
07:11I would say I've come home from work, rushing around,
07:14normally get the kids' homework sorted,
07:15and so I just allow myself 30 minutes to go,
07:18right, what I'm going to cook today,
07:20and then just go ahead and fire away.
07:2430-minute wonders.
07:25Yeah.
07:26I just want to get something on the plate.
07:29So, it's a little bit like your homework.
07:30It's like tick in the box.
07:32It is.
07:33It's just a functional thing that I've got to do,
07:35that I need to make sure the kids are fed, I'm fed,
07:38and that's it, really.
07:40To really understand how bad the night's meal times have become,
07:44we've installed cameras to monitor the family's every move,
07:48to see what they buy, what they cook, and more importantly,
07:52what they eat.
07:53Are you ready?
07:54No.
07:55Shazam!
07:56Oh, dear God.
07:57OK.
08:00So, carrots and broccoli, good start.
08:03Would you say they're your go-to?
08:05Definitely.
08:06Darren turns to these same veg night after night.
08:10We're back with carrots.
08:12After night.
08:13Oh, and then have a carrot.
08:15What?
08:15What?
08:17It's like watching Groundhog Day a little bit, isn't it?
08:21Oh, that is it.
08:21That is totally it.
08:23Ah.
08:24Yeah, it definitely seems like there's no joy there.
08:27No.
08:28I feel like a bit like a robot in a way.
08:30It's just chop, chop, chop, move on.
08:32It's going literally same, same, same.
08:35You have got it to an absolute T over and over,
08:40and you've got the timing to a T.
08:42You've got the garlic bread going on the table.
08:44Oh, yeah.
08:44Boom, 30 minutes, your task is complete, isn't it?
08:47Yeah.
08:48It is exactly the same pretty much every night.
08:50It kind of makes sense of why I need you guys, really,
08:55just to try and do something different.
08:58And Darren's not getting any help from the kids.
09:01So they're not really in the kitchen at all with you?
09:03They get the snacks and that's it, really,
09:05and I don't really get involved in the cooking.
09:09If the kids start getting involved,
09:10then my efficiency will then start going out the window
09:14and then I start getting stressed.
09:18And the morning routine is just as bad.
09:21So we're doing spread on... Is it waffles?
09:23It is.
09:24Yeah.
09:25This is stuff that the kids could be doing for themselves.
09:29Yeah, Henry will be like,
09:30oh, you do it so much better than I do,
09:32I don't know how to do it properly.
09:32Are you full for that old chestnut?
09:35Yeah.
09:35They've got you under the thumb.
09:38Seeing those breakfast clips was a shock.
09:40That's not really what I want as a parent
09:42to be offering my kids.
09:44When there should be something a little bit more healthier,
09:46that's going to fill their bellies.
09:48I think definitely some change is needed there.
09:52For the past month, we've also been analysing every receipt,
09:57every shopping trip and every penny spent on feeding the family.
10:01So, at the moment, we're spending £140.62 on everything to do with food.
10:09Is that a week?
10:10That's a week.
10:11I'm a bit shocked, actually.
10:13I didn't think it was that much.
10:14I was thinking it was about £100, so £40 extra is a lot.
10:19Nearly 15% of your food spend during the week is spent on these sugary products.
10:25Right.
10:25Is it really?
10:26Like the waffles.
10:27So, if we added in the other sweet treats,
10:30then you're about a third of your spend is actually on sugary, processed treats.
10:36Yeah.
10:37Not great.
10:38It was quite a shock to hear that, because I'm on a really tight budget.
10:43I'm a single parent, rent's just gone up,
10:46and saving some of that money would make so much difference.
10:50Despite restricting meal preparation to 30 minutes,
10:53Darren is still wasting time elsewhere.
10:55You're spending ten hours and six minutes a week
10:59just shopping and preparing and eating food.
11:02I know that I go do the local shop too much.
11:06I come in, I'm like,
11:08oh, my God, I've forgotten something.
11:10I have to go back out again.
11:12I was really surprised about ten hours, actually, in a week.
11:16Just all the trips back and forth to the shops
11:18I don't need to have in my life.
11:21And despite spending all that time on their food,
11:24things aren't as healthy as they should be.
11:27So, at the moment, when it comes to nutrition,
11:29you guys are hitting a balanced diet around 60% of the time.
11:33If we can get a bit further along to the right,
11:35that would be really good, yeah.
11:38It's been three years into being a single dad,
11:41and I think you just keep on going on the same kind of treadmill,
11:44and I need something to change
11:47and make it better for the whole family.
11:51I can completely relate to Darren.
11:53I had my eldest Harry on my own for years,
11:56where I had to do exactly the same things he's doing,
11:59and it is stressful, you know?
12:01So, if we can streamline the process,
12:04give him a little bit more time, save him some money,
12:06I think it would really make a big difference to his life.
12:18We're in Cambridge helping the Knight family.
12:22Single dad Darren is juggling parenting with work in a full-time job.
12:26I do not enjoy cooking at the moment.
12:29When I see my dad in the kitchen, he's all stressed and stuff.
12:34And meal times have become repetitive and boring.
12:37Maybe some gravy would be nice for that.
12:39Gravy? You've never asked for gravy before.
12:43We're here to help, and it all starts in the kitchen.
12:47This is a small kitchen, but we can get it working perfectly for you
12:51so that you feel joy when you're in here.
12:54Everything's organised, but everybody knows where each section is.
12:58Sounds great.
12:59Right, see you in a bit.
13:00See you in a bit.
13:01While I sort the kitchen to run more efficiently...
13:05I'm taking Darren to the supermarket.
13:08Excited for this.
13:09At the moment, Darren's spending 40% over his £100 food budget,
13:14and I want to show him that doing one weekly supermarket shop
13:17could seriously reduce his costs.
13:20At the moment, you're shopping nine times a week.
13:22OK.
13:24Which is a lot of shopping.
13:25Yeah.
13:25More importantly, a lot of time being wasted.
13:27Yeah.
13:27And you're spending on average 20% more at little shops
13:31than doing one big shop a week.
13:33Shall we get a trolley?
13:33Let's do it.
13:34Come on then.
13:35The type of store or supermarket you use could save you money.
13:39Food and convenience stores can come with a hefty price take
13:42compared to larger supermarkets.
13:44The fruit and veg aisle.
13:47Supermarkets can buy in larger quantities,
13:49meaning that they can pass off lower prices to their customers.
13:52So what we want to try and break is this being nervous in the kitchen.
13:56Yeah.
13:57Not wanting to experiment and sticking to the same stuff.
13:59So let's pick a couple of veg that you wouldn't use to cook.
14:02OK.
14:02Let's try and get something that's not broccoli, carrots or peas.
14:05OK.
14:06What about cabbage?
14:07Do you like a bit of cabbage?
14:08Yeah, you can give that one.
14:09That's a nice colour as well.
14:11This vibrant red cabbage is packed with vitamin K,
14:14great for a healthy heart and strong bones.
14:17I like to think that the more colour you have,
14:18the more nutrition you're getting into your diet.
14:22By introducing a variety of vegetables,
14:25the family will be eating a balanced diet in no time.
14:29Sweet potato, maybe?
14:31But if we're really going to improve the nutrition levels,
14:34Darren needs to ditch the processed sugary breakfasts.
14:37Yoghurt is a great way of filling your kids with goodness.
14:39You can add stuff to yoghurt as well,
14:41so if you add a bit of granola, some frozen fruit as well.
14:45OK.
14:45This breakfast is the perfect start to a busy day at school.
14:49And this is all stuff that the kids can do themselves.
14:51Yeah.
14:52We can try.
14:53We can give it a go.
14:55Darren's paying a premium for pre-made cooking sauces,
14:58but there is a fix.
15:00Instead of having a friend in a jar,
15:03we want you to have a friend in a tin.
15:05OK.
15:06It's like tinned tomatoes.
15:07And it's the basis to a lot of sauces,
15:09so a curry sauce or even a bolognese,
15:12this is perfect.
15:14OK.
15:14They come in at a fraction of the price
15:16and only need spicing up with a few extra ingredients.
15:19Is this something that you feel that you can actually do?
15:22Changing my routine,
15:25I'm just a bit nervous about doing that,
15:27and I need to see it in action, I think.
15:30Yeah.
15:30I think that will help.
15:31Well, that's what Suzanne's here for.
15:32Right.
15:33We've filled the trolley with healthy veg,
15:35ditched the jarred cooking sauces
15:37and replaced the kids' unhealthy breakfasts.
15:40Hello, you all right?
15:41I'm OK. How are you?
15:41We've got everything we need to start batch cooking.
15:45It's time to get back to Suzanne and see how she's getting on.
15:50Hey, you all right?
15:51Yeah, how was the shop?
15:52Yeah, I think we've done really, really well.
15:55This place looks amazing, by the way.
15:57I know, it was not even open to cupboard yet.
15:59I've organised the work surfaces to make the space more efficient for batch cooking.
16:04Your drawer of doom.
16:06What have you done?
16:07This drawer was overflowing with clutter that didn't belong in the kitchen.
16:11Ah!
16:12So, we've cleared it out.
16:13By rehoming these items, we've created space for some batch cooking essentials.
16:18That's so much better.
16:20It looks so organised.
16:21I like it.
16:22I like it a lot.
16:23Right, let's look at your freezer.
16:26This freezer was in disrepair and lacked any order.
16:30Now, I didn't take anything out.
16:32Oh, my God.
16:32That is exactly what you had before.
16:34No way.
16:34You must have done.
16:36I've removed the broken doors, creating spacious open shelves so everything can be grabbed
16:41quickly, and lost pointless packaging, making more room for batch cooked meals.
16:47Slowly but surely, trying to sell you this idea of batch cooking.
16:52You're winning me over.
16:53You're winning me over.
16:54Remember, change can be a good thing sometimes.
16:57No, I'm definitely up for change.
16:58I've just got to get over that kind of routine thing that I've got myself into.
17:05To really win Darren over, once and for all, we need to get him batch cooking.
17:10We're going to put an end to the night's monotonous mealtimes by showing Darren how to prepare
17:15a range of tasty dishes.
17:17A recipe like I'm going to show you today is a perfect one for changing up your veg,
17:22trying other things, and it's a one-pot dish.
17:25I'm going to teach Darren how to make a healthy sausage tray bake.
17:28I want to show him that there's more to life than carrots, peas and broccoli.
17:33And how variety is the key to improving the family's nutrition levels.
17:37So we'll start with the mini corn and the cobs.
17:39Okay.
17:39And we'll get some in the tray and some in the bag.
17:42We're doubling up this recipe, making one for now and one for the freezer.
17:46Then we've got some cherry tomatoes.
17:48Joe, you can have some.
17:49And then you're just adding them to the bag.
17:51This one-pot recipe means there's no extra veg to cook and there's even less washing
17:56up to do, saving valuable time.
17:58We're then going to take some red onion and we're just going to quarter it.
18:02Okay.
18:03You can just sort of pull them apart just slightly.
18:05Okay.
18:06Red pepper adds even more colour and is high in vitamin C.
18:10Great for boosting those nutrition levels.
18:12Come on Darren, we ain't got all day mate.
18:15We're also adding a tin of potatoes.
18:18A tin of potatoes like these are really low cost and they're just so easy to do.
18:23You don't need to worry about washing, peeling.
18:26And when they've been crisped up in the oven, they taste just as good as fresh.
18:30And they cook really quickly when they're like this.
18:33Next in goes a drizzle of olive oil.
18:35Three glugs over like that.
18:37Then paprika and rosemary give it a Mediterranean flavour.
18:40You just want to get your hands in and give it a good mix around.
18:44Okay.
18:44Make sure that you're just marinating all those flavours together.
18:48For this recipe we're using protein packed chicken sausages.
18:52But any sausages will work well.
18:55That is how easy it is.
18:56You can change up this flavour.
18:58You could do a Mexican one.
19:00Yeah.
19:00You could change up the veg.
19:02Instead of sausages you could have chicken thighs on there.
19:05In less than ten minutes we've prepared two portions of the tray bake.
19:09Packed with lots of colourful veg.
19:12One is bagged up and labelled.
19:14Ready to go in the freezer.
19:16And the other one is going straight into the oven for the nights to try.
19:20Right.
19:20Are you ready for swashies cheesy garlic bread?
19:23I am indeed.
19:23Go for it.
19:24You don't get arsed out every day do you?
19:25No I don't.
19:26I'm just going to sort of like cut down the middle of the bread.
19:30Not all the way through.
19:31I want to break him out of his routine.
19:33And show him that cooking can be simple, spontaneous and more importantly fun.
19:38Going to give him a nice couple of glugs of olive oil.
19:41Any leftover oil can be saved for cooking with later.
19:45I really like my garlic.
19:46I don't know about you.
19:47I really like garlic.
19:48Yeah.
19:48Garlic granules and dried parsley are combined to create a tasty flavoured oil.
19:53It's about teamwork this one so this is really good to do with the kids.
19:56Yeah.
19:57I'm going to lift it and when I pour it you're going to paint it.
19:59Okay.
20:00Come on Joe.
20:01It would be easier to dip the brush in the bowl.
20:04That doesn't sound as fun.
20:06We'll do a little layer of cheese on the inside.
20:09Right.
20:10I love a bit of cheese.
20:11I don't know about you.
20:12That's a lot of cheese Joe.
20:15And there you have it.
20:16This is Swashy's garlic and parsley cheesy bread.
20:21Marvellous.
20:22For a healthier option just use less oil and cheese.
20:25But this one is great for a dinnertime treat.
20:29You've done a good job.
20:30I think I might have done a bit too much cheese.
20:32And after 30 minutes the garlic bread and tray bake are done.
20:37And it's ready just in the nick of time as Megan and Henry return from school.
20:42Look at this.
20:43And it's so nice.
20:44Look at that.
20:44This is Swashy's cheesy garlic bread.
20:50We did it all in one big tray.
20:51Yeah.
20:52It took about 10 minutes.
20:54We made an extra one for the freezer.
20:56And there's no carrots, broccoli or peas as well.
20:59There's other vegetables.
21:00Other vegetables.
21:01I know.
21:02I think we're starting to nudge Darren out of his comfort zone.
21:06This just looks healthy doesn't it?
21:08I'm really pleased that you guys are trying some new veg.
21:11But are the kids ready to embrace change at mealtimes?
21:15Is this something that you'd like to eat in future?
21:18Yeah, this is really nice.
21:19I'd definitely make this again.
21:20I really like it so far.
21:23So Darren, does it work for you?
21:24It definitely does.
21:26I think more the time saving as well.
21:28But also having a bit more variety in mealtimes is really good.
21:32And if the kids enjoy it as well, that's the main thing.
21:35Yeah, exactly.
21:35Yeah.
21:36I was definitely in my safe place with those three vegetables that I always have.
21:41And to think about adding some more variety to my dishes, really,
21:47and how easy it can be done.
21:48I just wish I had done it before.
21:50Why didn't I do it before?
21:53For busy parents like Darren, it can be hard to find the time to cook.
21:57I know how that feels.
21:58I'm always looking to save time in the kitchen.
22:01Well, Joe, I've got some of my best time saving hacks to try.
22:05Starting with prepping my favourite fruit.
22:08Strawberries.
22:08Yeah, my kids love strawberries.
22:10I'm forever cutting strawberries.
22:12OK, so I'm going to show you my hack.
22:13What are you going to do?
22:14Suck it out?
22:16Grab a strawberry.
22:17Yeah.
22:17Go in from the bottom.
22:18Oh.
22:19Look at that.
22:20Oh, it actually works.
22:21Look at that.
22:22Look at that.
22:23This fun hack is a great one for the kids to try.
22:26Oh, that is brilliant.
22:27That's a great hack.
22:28Really quick if you've got lots to do for your numerous kids.
22:32I don't think you know the joy I get from a good hack that actually works.
22:37Top hack.
22:38Joe, do you like potato wedgies?
22:39I love a wedgie.
22:40Stacey loves a wedgie.
22:42A different way that I saw that you could do them.
22:46So this is like an apple cutter.
22:48I have seen this and if this works, it will be a complete game changer.
22:55And then you just bang it down and then you get these lovely wedgies.
23:00That is fantastic.
23:02Look at those.
23:03They're like restaurant standard wedgies.
23:05Right.
23:06Here we go.
23:07These are going to be longer wedgies.
23:12I don't know whether I should have liked that as much as I did.
23:16Look at those wedgies.
23:17Look.
23:19OK Joe, tomatoes.
23:21Yes.
23:21Cherry tomatoes can be a pain if you're cutting lots of them.
23:24They are the bane of my life.
23:26I'm going to show you how to chop a lot all at once.
23:28OK.
23:29You ready?
23:30Yeah.
23:31So we're using a plastic lid.
23:32We're using a bread knife.
23:34And then we're just going to put our plastic lid on top of our cherry tomatoes.
23:37I'm just going to hold it down and then just go through the middle of them all.
23:41Oh.
23:43That is brilliant.
23:45No way.
23:48Ta-da.
23:50Time saving hacks.
23:52Wow.
23:56Back at the house, our secret cameras revealed that Darren's busy routine has taken the joy
24:01out of cooking.
24:02It's that functional point of just getting the food done because there's so many other
24:08jobs to actually do.
24:10I want to find out how things have got so bad.
24:14Talk to me about being a single dad because it comes with its highs and its lows, doesn't
24:17it?
24:18Yeah.
24:18I mean, my kids are great and I love spending time with them.
24:21It's quite tiring at times.
24:24I'm constantly, you know, always worrying about what the kids are going to do.
24:28You know, food is one thing, making sure they're having nutritious meals, but they're
24:32getting experiences as well.
24:34So how do you think the kids are fine in living with dads?
24:36I think we have fun.
24:38I think night times are really nice when we have a lot of time together.
24:41They will tell me more about what their day is or their worries.
24:44So I think we have a really open relationship.
24:46I always found being a parent, I struggled with parent guilt so badly.
24:51Yeah.
24:51There's always something more you can do.
24:52There's always something better you can do.
24:54But I reckon people are looking at you and thinking, how does he do that?
24:58Yeah.
24:58I'm doing a full time job.
24:59I've got two kids.
25:00So I think you should give yourself a pat on the back if you're doing a great job.
25:04And I totally understand it.
25:06As a parent, you're putting the kids first.
25:07Yeah.
25:08Definitely the focus is on the kids now.
25:10I want to make sure that they are happy and then I think I'll come later on.
25:14Yeah.
25:15But it is the most worthwhile job in the world.
25:17Yeah, it is.
25:18That's true.
25:18So here's to you.
25:20Yeah.
25:20Here's to being dad.
25:21Yeah.
25:22Cheers.
25:24So we've talked loads about the kids.
25:26I want to know what makes you tick.
25:27What do you like to eat?
25:28What are your favourite cuisines?
25:29I quite like Asia.
25:31When I was younger, I travelled around.
25:33So when seeing and tasting all the different types of spices and recipes, really I'd like
25:39to add a bit more of that into my own kind of repertoire.
25:42Spice up my life.
25:43Spice it up, yeah.
25:44Spice up your life.
25:45So I've got the perfect recipe for you.
25:47Okay.
25:48We want to get Darren back cooking food he loves.
25:51So we're going to do a Thai Massaman curry.
25:54With a little preparation, this will free up time on busy evenings.
25:58And the key to this recipe is a slow cooker.
26:01You can basically just walk in at night and it is already sitting there, bubbling away,
26:07cooked.
26:07Amazing.
26:08Right.
26:08We're going to brown our beef.
26:11Frying the beef before it goes into the slow cooker adds a caramelised rich flavour
26:15to the dish.
26:16But if you're really pushed for time, you can skip this step and put the meat in raw.
26:21That's quite relaxing actually.
26:23Less than 10 minutes and that's all the cooking Darren needs to do.
26:27So let's do our frozen chopped onions.
26:30Do you ever buy frozen?
26:31Never.
26:31I always think it's not going to be as nutritious.
26:34So therefore, no.
26:36It is generally picked, chopped, flash frozen really quick.
26:40So all the nutrients are frozen into it.
26:43Okay.
26:43Not only that, frozen veg is cheaper than fresh.
26:47One cup of onion and two cups of peppers and no wasted time chopping.
26:51And we'll start adding in our sweet potatoes.
26:53Ooh.
26:54A traditional Massaman uses regular potatoes, but we're swapping to sweet potatoes.
26:59Not only do they add variety, they also count towards your five a day.
27:04Isn't it nice to have a bit of company in the kitchen?
27:06It's lovely.
27:07Can you move in please?
27:08One tin of coconut milk provides the creamy texture synonymous with Thai curries.
27:13And that's all the liquid you need.
27:15Now we want to add the flavour.
27:17Along with onion, a teaspoon each of garlic and ginger puries create the perfect base.
27:23Right, let's get our paste in now.
27:25This Massaman curry paste gives us the concentrated flavours we want.
27:30Without the added ingredients and cost of pre-made sauces.
27:33So we're just going to use the stock cube.
27:35Then 1B's stock cube will give it a meaty kick.
27:38I just like to give it a little grate.
27:41And by grating, it will disperse into the sauce much quicker.
27:45Right, let's put this on.
27:47And whilst that's cooking, there's time to make a second portion for the freezer.
27:52So this is where we're taking the thought out of it for you.
27:56Six o'clock at night, you take it out, you put it in the fridge.
27:58When you wake up in the morning, you throw it in your slow cooker.
28:02Off you go to work.
28:03It just sounds so easy and simple to do.
28:06I just need to kind of get into my routine.
28:08You're not adding really any extra time.
28:11And it's perfectly set up, ready to go.
28:15If I prep it on the weekends, all done for me,
28:17that means I've got 30 minutes to myself every day.
28:21It's going to be great.
28:23How are we getting on?
28:24Yeah, we've done the curry.
28:26This recipe is proof that preparation and planning
28:29is the key to freeing up time on busy weeknights.
28:32I'll take that.
28:33That's the bit I was done with. You know that as well.
28:35That's a good bit.
28:37Mmm, that's lovely.
28:38The meat's really tender as well.
28:39That's what's good about the slow cooker.
28:41It really tenderises the meat.
28:44With so little time available in the evenings,
28:46Darren's stuck to a handful of recipes he knew well.
28:49So is this something you think you might be able to make by yourself?
28:52It was simple.
28:53Simple, easy to follow and quick as well.
28:56And if it's in the freezer, even better.
28:58We've expanded his repertoire and pushed him out of his comfort zone.
29:02Little by little, we're breaking down these barriers.
29:04I know.
29:05Over the time that I've spent with Darren in the kitchen,
29:08I can definitely see that he's more confident to try new things
29:11and to push himself, which is brilliant for him moving forward.
29:15He's coming over to the batch inside, Suzanne.
29:17Another one. Another one in my team.
29:20Well done.
29:21It was so refreshing to have somebody else next to me in the kitchen
29:25showing me a recipe and a way of cooking.
29:27You never have that headspace to kind of think about it,
29:30step back and go, right, OK, what can I do differently?
29:42In a village near the historic city of Cambridge...
29:45Hand mags, dinner's ready.
29:47..we've been called in to help single dad Darren,
29:50whose meal times have become boring and repetitive.
29:53We need a different type of chips on both of them.
29:56I don't know what to say to that.
29:58They're too chunky.
29:59Our secret cameras captured Darren working hard in the kitchen,
30:03night after night, with the kids only coming in to eat unhealthy snacks.
30:10We need to talk to the kids and find out what meal times mean to them.
30:14So tell me about meal times, how does it work?
30:17Do you all sit round together?
30:18Is it something that you enjoy doing?
30:20Yeah, I think it's a nice time for all of us
30:22because a lot of the time me and my sister
30:25could be with our friends upstairs, you know,
30:28not really with my dad.
30:31How do you think that makes him feel?
30:33Probably quite lonely.
30:35Yeah.
30:35I think he would like someone else in the kitchen with him.
30:39The one thing that I noticed was that
30:41you guys didn't go in the kitchen very often
30:44and when it was, it was just for snacks.
30:45There was not a lot of cooking going on.
30:47Well, me and Megan, we don't really have any experience.
30:50We don't really know what to do to help in the kitchen.
30:54It'd be nice if you could come home from school,
30:56go in the freezer, get something that's already been made,
30:59cook something for daddy maybe once in a while.
31:01Yeah, that'd be much better.
31:03We'll whip you to in shape in no time.
31:06And Suzanne has the perfect recipe.
31:08I'm going to teach Megan and Henry
31:11how to prepare their very first meal.
31:13By including the kids, Darren can reduce his workload
31:16and turn a boring job into some precious family time.
31:20This is a pizza chicken recipe.
31:23It's getting a bit of chicken
31:24and you get to make it taste like pizza.
31:27These simple and tasty pizza stuffed chicken breasts
31:30are a great way to get the kids excited about cooking.
31:33How does that sound?
31:35Yeah, it sounds nice.
31:36We're using classic pizza flavours,
31:39tomato, mozzarella and pepperoni.
31:41And we're going to use that mozzarella
31:43to put in the middle of our chicken breasts
31:45so that it goes all oozy and cheesy and beautiful.
31:49Adding a teaspoon of paprika to some olive oil
31:51creates a smoky marinade for the chicken.
31:54We want to put a slice through the chicken breast
31:57but not all the way.
31:58And we're going to create like a little pocket like that.
32:05That's fantastic.
32:07Along with the mozzarella and pepperoni,
32:09we're filling these chicken pockets with ready-made pizza sauce.
32:13And put a big dollop like that inside.
32:16Once it's done, I can just fold it over a bit.
32:21Then it's time to apply the tasty marinade.
32:24And just brush it all over your chicken breast.
32:28It's just like painting a picture, isn't it?
32:31Yes.
32:32Like any good batch cook,
32:34we've prepared a portion for now
32:35and a portion for the freezer.
32:37So they're going to go in the oven at about 180 for about 30 minutes.
32:41They're going to be delicious and all cheesy and so good.
32:45I can't wait.
32:48Slide it in and then that's it.
32:51Seeing how hard Darren was working in the kitchen...
32:54Oh, that smells nice. Oh, yeah, definitely.
32:57I really hope he can see that including the kids can be fun
33:01and even make his life easier.
33:03Did you do this?
33:04Yeah.
33:05I think I'm redundant now.
33:07Yeah.
33:07That's it. Me done.
33:08You're in the kitchen from now on.
33:09Best of all, Henry and Megan are learning valuable life skills.
33:13It looks a lot better than mine does anyway.
33:16Well presented.
33:17Are you impressed?
33:18I am. I'm very impressed.
33:20I was really pleasantly surprised about the kids getting involved
33:23and just getting on with it.
33:24It makes me feel like, why didn't I do it beforehand?
33:27It tastes delicious. Are you proud of yourselves?
33:29I'm really proud of myself for this, yeah.
33:31Yeah, this is really good.
33:32Do you think this is something that you want to do a little bit more of?
33:35Maybe do a bit of cooking?
33:36Like maybe once a Friday we could definitely do something like this.
33:40I definitely think that's a really good way to spend some quality time with the kids.
33:43It will help to reduce that time on my own and actually make it a family event.
33:49You can show me how to do it then.
33:50Yeah, you could learn really easily just by watching us.
33:55Instead of watching TV.
33:59Don't you just like kids, eh?
34:02Good one.
34:04Well done.
34:07Like Darren, so many parents are looking for convenience when it comes to breakfasts and snacks.
34:13As someone who's always got a house full of hungry kids, sometimes you need to grab something quick.
34:18In my batch kitchen, I'm going to show you how to prepare a homemade treat that the kids will love.
34:23So Joe, one of the snacks that I love to have ready in advance is muffins.
34:27They're just so easy.
34:29You can use any different fruit and they just go in the freezer.
34:32So you can pop a muffin in the freezer?
34:34Yeah, no problem at all. You just bring them out, put them on the counter.
34:3715 minutes, they're good to eat.
34:39Okay.
34:40So we've got this one, which just came out the oven.
34:43And then we've got this one, which I put in the freezer and then it's defrosted.
34:47And I just want to show you that they do taste and feel the same.
34:52Okay.
34:53You really can't tell no difference.
34:55No.
34:55You are right.
34:57I just hope it's as easy to make as it was to eat.
35:00So we're starting with our 200 grams of flour.
35:03Then castor sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs is everything this muffin mix needs.
35:10This is my kind of recipe, so everything is just chucked in a bowl, blended up.
35:15Are you ready? Let's go.
35:19Once the ingredients are mixed, it's time to add some fruit.
35:25Wow, thanks.
35:27Sorry about that, Suzanne.
35:30So I've got some blueberries here, so I'm just going to put them in.
35:32I thought you could do a lemon one.
35:35How lemony are you going?
35:37How lemony do you want it?
35:42Right, we've got some muffin trays.
35:45I like to use an ice cream scoop, but it's up to you.
35:48No, I'm up for that.
35:49Once portioned out, the muffins go into the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
35:55Amazing.
35:59They're out the oven.
36:00If you want to freeze these, you know, just put them in a bag, take the air out it, put
36:05them in the freezer.
36:06That's it.
36:06Perfect snack.
36:08Lovely.
36:12Before we arrived, the night's meal times were repetitive and dull.
36:16Darren was stuck in a routine of doing the same recipes over and over and couldn't see a way out.
36:21It's like watching Groundhog Day a little bit, isn't it?
36:24Oh, that is totally it.
36:26But we managed to push Darren out of his comfort zone, and we want to make sure he doesn't go
36:31back.
36:31So I've done a four-week meal plan for you.
36:33OK.
36:34Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
36:35I've still added in lots of things that you love to eat, so the pesto pasta, the pizza.
36:40We've got a few curries going on there as well.
36:43I've made sure that there's a different healthy meal for each night of the week, with no repeats.
36:48I think it's amazing.
36:49You've gone from having five meals in your repertoire to having all of these.
36:54Yeah.
36:54I love it.
36:55I think it's a really good way to show all the different kind of variety I can add into a
37:01meal times and to the week.
37:03I've swapped the sugary breakfast for healthy alternatives that the kids can prepare themselves.
37:09I've included some quick and healthy lunch options, like sweet potato soup and pasta salad.
37:14And dinners like homemade pizzas, butter chicken curry and cod parcels can be prepped in advance and kept in the
37:20freezer.
37:21And I've made sure as well that we've included lots of the recipes that I've done with you, so you'll
37:26see that they're throughout the planner.
37:29With Darren's Massaman curry, the kids' pizza stuffed chicken breasts and the sausage tray bake all in the freezer, the
37:36night's meal times are already starting to look much better.
37:39Eating like this is going to save you money, save you time in the kitchen and definitely help you nutritionally.
37:47I love it. I really like it. You can see all the amazing tasty foods there to try out and
37:52give a go. So yeah, thank you so much.
37:55Having a plan there is definitely a relief.
37:58I can definitely see a future where I'm not just chopping the same things, the same vegetables and doing the
38:05same types of meals.
38:07I am really excited to get started.
38:09I hope that when we come back, the kids have got involved slightly. Dad's found his passion for cooking.
38:16You know, they started to experiment a little bit while in the variety of food.
38:20What I really want is meal times to suit them.
38:33Dad, what's for dinner?
38:34We've been helping Dad Darren.
38:36We've got pizza and you've got waffles.
38:39Who is exhausted juggling solo parenting and working full time?
38:43I just don't have the time to come up with new recipes.
38:47To break the nights out of their monotonous routine, we left them a 28-day meal plan.
38:52You can see all the amazing tasty foods there.
38:55I'm going to give them the motivation they need to stick to it.
38:59That's so much money that I could save.
39:02That would make such a difference if I could...
39:06Can you get the garlic, Megs?
39:10It's two weeks into the new regime and things are starting to look very different.
39:15There's other beef, mints and brown.
39:18Yeah, so what happens is when you cook it, it goes from red to brown.
39:22It's not separate.
39:24By getting the kids involved in the cooking...
39:27Stir, stir, stir, Meggie, stir, stir, stir.
39:29He just splattered it all over me.
39:33Mealtimes are much less lonely and a lot more fun.
39:36I was definitely in my safe space.
39:38I didn't want to do anything outside of that because it meant that I felt like out of control.
39:44Right.
39:45Not in there and here.
39:46It's got to be cooked first of all.
39:48But now I feel that I'm a lot more adventurous and willing to try other recipes.
39:55Why use that?
39:58Seriously?
40:01Cooking with kids.
40:03It's...
40:04It's not completely perfect, but the kids are getting involved more.
40:08It's more of a family affair.
40:10They are learning, we're having fun.
40:14And the kids are even helping out with the shopping.
40:17Turn, turn.
40:19It's me.
40:20Previously, Darren was spending £140 on food every week when his goal was £100.
40:26Turn, turn, turn.
40:27But today, his challenge is to do one weekly shop and come in under budget.
40:33Right, let's get some veg.
40:35On this week's menu, a tasty tray bake that allows the family to get creative.
40:40How about some parsnips?
40:42No?
40:43Some cauliflower.
40:44I hate cauliflower.
40:47Darren's trying to move away from his previous staples of peas, carrots and broccoli.
40:52What would you like?
40:53Anything nice?
40:54Now he's just got to convince the kids.
40:57Sweet potato.
40:58Sweet potato.
40:59OK.
41:00Nice one, Megan.
41:02Come on, use your muscles.
41:03Come on, don't crash.
41:05We'll get some fruit for breakfast.
41:07What would you like?
41:09Some dried mango.
41:10The kids have ditched the sugary breakfast for yoghurt and dried fruit.
41:15Right.
41:15Right, what else do we need?
41:16Do you have to carry?
41:18No, not carry.
41:19It always happens.
41:20Brilliant.
41:21Can we have one of the batch meals now?
41:23One of the batch meals?
41:24That we've been taught.
41:26OK.
41:26Alright, yeah, we can do that.
41:27At least someone is keeping Darren on track.
41:30Turn, turn.
41:31Alright, let's get some frozen veg as well.
41:34Staves me from peeling.
41:35With the last few items in the trolley, it's time to head to the checkout.
41:39Right, are you paying?
41:40Any pocket money?
41:41I only have £2.
41:42Right, Mags.
41:45The family's weekly food spend used to be £140, but has Darren managed to come in under budget?
41:52About £79 and 30 cents altogether.
41:54Really?
41:55At just over £79, Darren has slashed his food bill by a whopping 44%.
42:03That was rubbish.
42:05That's a big impact for me on a weekly basis and on a monthly basis.
42:10That's a really big motivation to bin the corner shops that I do so I can save all that money.
42:20Dad, where's dinner?
42:22It's ready now.
42:24Wow, that's really nice.
42:26I know.
42:27Back at home, family meal times have been transformed.
42:30Tastes really good.
42:32Yeah.
42:32With tasty and healthy meals for each night of the week, like this mix can pasta bake.
42:37We haven't had chips for ages.
42:39So is this better than chips?
42:41Yeah, definitely.
42:42It's really nice to have something different.
42:44And the kids have made cooking easier and more fun.
42:47I think we make a great team.
42:49Yeah!
42:50Yeah!
42:53I feel quite proud of myself actually that I've been able to do this.
42:57I'm not there yet.
42:59I know I'm not completely there yet, but I can see a better future moving on.
43:05Yeah!
43:07I'm just happy.
43:09Food makes me happy.
43:14I'm back in Cambridge for one final catch up with Darren.
43:18The last time I was here to meet the night family, meal times had descended into chaos.
43:22Dad was juggling the full time job and the kids at the same time.
43:26He completely lost his passion for the kitchen, was cooking the same things over and over.
43:30But with the new meal time routine such a success, I want to give Darren an extra incentive not to
43:36slip back into bad old habits.
43:38So if you carry on with a plan for a whole year, this is what you should expect.
43:43OK.
43:47My God.
43:48The first one is cost. Now you should expect to save £3,802.
43:54I can't actually see that's so much money that I could save.
43:58Ah, that would make such a difference if I could.
44:00It definitely motivates me to continue to want to do more batch cooking and get those savings in.
44:07Let's move down to the time.
44:09You're going to be saving 197 hours per year, which does work out at just over eight days.
44:15Wow.
44:16These are huge numbers actually. I didn't think they would be so big.
44:20What are you going to do with all that time on your hands?
44:23I need to do some more hobbies or something like that, really. I've got so much time.
44:29Previously, the night's nutrition score meant that they were only eating a balanced diet around 60% of the time.
44:35But you're back where you need to be on the nutrition level, right at the top in the green.
44:41It kind of doesn't seem like it can be that easy, really. Can I take this, please?
44:45Because that's something I want to put up somewhere in the house just to remind me of what we're working
44:51towards.
44:52You know, all three of those are so important.
44:55We really do hope this makes a massive difference to you and your kids' lives.
44:59I think it will do.
45:01I feel like me and Suzanne have come in. We've showed them a few more recipes, a better way of
45:06doing things.
45:06We've streamlined it a lot more. Hopefully, it's making life a little bit easier for them.
45:11We always say the kitchen is at the heart of the home, but actually, when it comes to the prep
45:17time and cooking time and everything else that goes in between it really can make a difference to family life.
45:25Do you want some help? Heavy.
45:27I definitely feel motivated. After seeing those huge numbers, I want to continue the plan and make it work because
45:33it makes so much difference to me and the kids as well.
45:39Next time.
45:42Dom!
45:43We meet a family in crisis.
45:45I'm failing my family.
45:47Dad spinning too many plates.
45:49We're two air fryers on the go.
45:51And we give them a reset.
45:54Yeah. Yeah!
45:56When you're talking about children's nutrition, you've got to make a change straight away.
46:00I don't understand how we get it so wrong.
46:08Dark legends, astonishing designs, and centuries-old mysteries are more for next.
46:13Those built to defend get some castle secrets.
46:15Here on Channel 4, keep the belly fed, keep the mind sharp, otherwise you might succumb.
46:20A tempting fortune.
46:21A good fortune.
46:25The color of the world has been converted.
46:27The figure of the world has made them into a system.
46:30The culture of the world has made them create.
46:31The曲 of the world has made them create the world without him.
46:32We've become an entrepreneur and we can have a world that trend.
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