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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.
01:31So, Suzanne, welcome to Bridge End, South Wales.
01:34A beautiful part of the world.
01:36Wales certainly rivals Scotland for its beauty.
01:39Today we're here to meet Evan's family.
01:42There's mum and dad, Kelly and Dom, and their three kids.
01:44Like most parents, they just want to do the best for their kids.
01:47But dinner times comes with competing demands,
01:49which is just adding stress to their life.
01:51Yeah, it can be hard to please everybody at dinner time.
01:53We've got kids, we know that.
01:55Families around the country end up feeding different meals
01:58to different people throughout one meal time.
02:00And it just makes it become a chore and take a long time for cooking.
02:04So, I think we've got some top tips that could definitely help this family out.
02:07Let's go, shall we?
02:08Let's go.
02:11Tucked away in this quiet little corner of Bridge End,
02:14there's a whirlwind of a family.
02:16You just have to keep an eye if he has a widow.
02:18Oh, yeah.
02:20There's mum, Kelly, dad, Dom, Xander, Lucas and Indy.
02:25Plus, a whole lot of little puppies.
02:28She on the sofa now.
02:30There are also multiple health issues in the mix.
02:34So, we're both full-time carers for our boys.
02:37So, that keeps us quite busy.
02:40Xander has cerebral palsy and Lucas has Down syndrome.
02:44I wouldn't change it for the world,
02:46but having kids with additional needs and the extra appointments we get,
02:49we are quite stressed.
02:51Right, what's everyone having for dinner?
02:53Done now.
02:55Yep.
02:55Dom's stress levels peak at meal times
02:57as he takes on sole responsibility of feeding the whole family.
03:01Coddish pike.
03:02Yeah.
03:02Xander.
03:03Chicken Cujons with chips and peas.
03:05Yeah.
03:06I find meal time so stressful
03:08because most of the time it's five different meals.
03:11Jackpotato and beans.
03:13The meals may come out at different times.
03:15Right, let's get on.
03:16There's two air fryers on the go.
03:19Just do these jacket sprouts now.
03:21I always pick the quick and easy things to do,
03:25but even so, I'm still juggling.
03:27I'll just finish those off while I'm doing that.
03:30You don't get much time to sit down
03:32and if I do sit down, I don't want to get back up,
03:35so I generally don't sit down.
03:37Kelly always has hers first anyway.
03:39She's the queen.
03:40With all these different meals he's cooking,
03:42Dom could be running a restaurant.
03:44It's exhausting.
03:46To add to the pressure, Kelly doesn't feel able to offer any help.
03:50Two years ago, I had weight loss surgery.
03:53I had a gastric bypass
03:54because I was over 24 stone.
03:58I've lost 100 pounds.
04:01I was done first, as usual.
04:05I knew you were a keeper.
04:07I try and stay away from the food.
04:08I find it really overwhelming.
04:10It's easier for me to kind of just distance myself
04:13from anything food-related.
04:16I don't enjoy cooking at all.
04:19I think there's a lot of pressure to make sure they've got nutrition,
04:24to make sure they're happy,
04:25to not spend too much money in doing it.
04:28I spread myself so thin.
04:30There's always something I'm missing.
04:32I'm going to put some peas here.
04:34With Dom juggling five meals at once,
04:37he's turned to the easy options.
04:40Food ready?
04:41Yeah.
04:41Yeah.
04:43You are the chicken nuggets.
04:44It's the chicken nuggets, fish fingers.
04:48OK.
04:49I mean, we have been known to mix in the convenience burgers.
04:54That is an all-time low convenience microwave burger.
05:01It makes me feel like a bit of a failure,
05:03like I'm failing my family,
05:07even though they are the most important thing to me
05:10and the reason they get up in the morning.
05:12For the sake of their health,
05:14the family just can't carry on like this.
05:17I'm mindful that we need to do better
05:19and we need to eat better, all of us as a family.
05:22But I just don't know where to start.
05:25We need to get it together, Dom.
05:26I know.
05:26We need help.
05:27We do need help.
05:29And that's where we come in.
05:31I think this might be it.
05:33The family are out,
05:34so me and Suzanne are going to have a little snoop around
05:36and try and understand how this family have reached crisis point.
05:40Wap your feet.
05:42Oh, this is gorgeous.
05:44Lots of cupboards.
05:46Yeah.
05:46Lots of nice space that you can work on.
05:48I'd love to do some cooking in here.
05:49Open the window.
05:50Dinner's up, kids.
05:52You know.
05:53Great big fridge freezer.
05:55Let's see what we've got going on.
05:56What have we got here?
05:58A little ready-meal cottage pie.
06:00These are quite expensive, actually.
06:02It looks like we could do with a little bit of a clear-out,
06:05I would say.
06:05Can we have a look in the freezer?
06:07Oh, wow.
06:08A lot of convenience food.
06:10We've got some ice cream pizza.
06:12I'm not really seeing where the family of five males are.
06:15It's a bit sort of thrown in.
06:17If you started to pull one thing out there,
06:19everything might start falling.
06:20What?
06:24Oh, my God!
06:25One of the kids could be down there.
06:27They could be under that.
06:30So, the freezer's chaotic, but what about the rest of the kitchen?
06:34Loads of tins down here.
06:35We've got some pasta.
06:37I think this is more spicy up here.
06:39So, see if they've got spices there.
06:40Look, I mean, it's a huge kitchen.
06:42Do you need a bit of cumin?
06:43Run!
06:44Yeah, quick!
06:45Cracky-gig.
06:46Put the cumin!
06:47No!
06:48Oh, no, the eggs are boiling!
06:49Let's go!
06:50No wonder Dom doesn't enjoy cooking when he's having to run around this much.
06:55So, this is the bit I'm not getting,
06:56because we've got food all the way down this end.
06:59The dots don't connect with this kitchen.
07:01Whoa.
07:02Oh!
07:02Some nice light bulbs.
07:03This is the sort of worst use of space for under a hob ever.
07:08Only the ingredients and equipment that you use the most
07:11should be kept in these drawers and cupboards closest to where you cook.
07:15I feel like these drawers have pushed you over the edge.
07:18Well, I just, I just don't get it.
07:20There's lots to sort out here, and when there's chaos in the kitchen,
07:24it's impossible to think, let alone cook.
07:27Hello, everyone.
07:28Hello.
07:29How are you guys?
07:30Lovely to meet you all.
07:31So, you might need our help?
07:33Yeah, just a little bit.
07:35Yeah, just a little bit.
07:35What do you like to eat usually?
07:37Pizza, pot noodle, pasta.
07:40I like to eat mac and cheese.
07:42That's one of my daughter's favourites as well.
07:45Lucas?
07:46I'm a younger.
07:47You like burger?
07:49I know.
07:49A little birdie tells me that you're a bit of a burger connoisseur.
07:52I think we found one of your burgers in there.
07:55I hope you don't mind I get it. Is that all right?
07:57I'm only joking.
07:58We'll catch you guys a little bit later.
08:00We're going to talk to Mum and Dad if that's all right.
08:03Thank you very much.
08:04Bye.
08:04See you later.
08:06To really understand how bad the Evans meal times have become,
08:10we've installed cameras and have been monitoring their every move
08:14to see what they buy, what they cook, and especially what they eat.
08:19Now, this is quite telling.
08:22This is you preparing evening meals for the family.
08:25Frozen chips going in.
08:27Oh, another air fryer.
08:29What was that, a little cottage pie?
08:30That's Kelly's cottage pie.
08:32So far, no vegetables.
08:35Got super excited about the pot coming out.
08:38We thought, thank goodness for that.
08:39Then we realised you was only cooking packet noodles.
08:43What a letdown.
08:45Your poor cooker hasn't been used at all, has it?
08:49He's sitting there looking at them two air fryers thinking, come on!
08:52You fly around that kitchen, don't you?
08:56And with them frantically making separate meals for everybody,
09:00it's creating a fractured family.
09:02They all eat at different times and, you know,
09:04the food finishes at different times, you know,
09:06because they all have it on their own anyway.
09:08So, Alexander and Indiana and myself will usually eat in the lounge.
09:12Lucas will eat upstairs.
09:14I don't even know where the turning point was that we got
09:16till Lucas now eats in his bedroom.
09:19And then I'm back doing my own, then the dishes.
09:22I am in there for the majority of the evening, yeah.
09:26You're almost making a rod for your own back.
09:28It feels like it's more convenient, but actually it's harder work.
09:33Yeah, especially seeing how much unhealthy food we're eating.
09:36Yeah.
09:37How do you feel, Kayleigh, seeing how much Dom's actually doing
09:39in the kitchen?
09:40I do know he doesn't sit down, but I think,
09:43because of my relationship with food,
09:45I do just stay out of the kitchen.
09:48You having surgery has made us eat slightly differently
09:51the rest of us.
09:52There's lots of things I can't eat.
09:54I have to have a kind of a high-protein diet.
09:56Right.
09:57And I don't really understand food and nutrition.
10:01Yeah.
10:02I'm a bit scared of it.
10:03I think Lucas and Alexander, because of their disabilities,
10:06it's really important to get to grips with the nutrition,
10:09so he's got good habits.
10:11And I think we kind of feel that we're meeting the children's needs
10:13day to day on everything except for their nutrition.
10:18Nutrition, yeah.
10:18And I don't understand how we get it so wrong.
10:21Well, the cameras don't lie, and neither does our analysis
10:24of the family's receipts from every food purchase they've made.
10:28And it's chaos in terms of wasted money, time and nutrition.
10:32At the moment, you're spending £252.41 a week
10:37on anything to do with food.
10:3940% of your food shop is on convenience foods.
10:44And it turns out those foods aren't even that convenient.
10:49Time-wise, you're spending 17 hours and 25 minutes a week
10:53shopping, cooking.
10:56That's nearly a whole day and night.
10:59So, if you have a look at your nutrition,
11:02your diet is only balanced around 40% of the time.
11:05So, 60% of the time, you're really not getting as much nutrition
11:08as you need in your body.
11:09As a family, they're only eating around a third
11:12of the recommended weekly amount of fruit and veg.
11:16It's quite scary seeing it all.
11:18Yep.
11:19So, we almost need to just press the reset button.
11:21That's a really good way of putting it.
11:22Resetting.
11:23Yeah.
11:24Yeah.
11:25I think it's quite shocking.
11:27And it's also quite embarrassing.
11:29The big thing for me is the nutrition.
11:33I had no idea it was that bad.
11:36I think it is a bit of a light bulb moment.
11:39And with Suzanne's help, I definitely think
11:41we can make some positive changes.
11:44I think the Evans family are lovely.
11:46Food-wise, they're all over the place.
11:48They've completely lost control.
11:51And when you're talking about children's nutrition,
11:54you've got to make a change straight away.
12:07We're in Bridgen, South Wales, with the Evans family.
12:11Food ready.
12:12Yeah.
12:12Yeah.
12:13As parents and full-time carers of children
12:16with additional needs, Kelly and Dom try every day
12:20to juggle the many demands on their time.
12:22Right, what's everyone having for dinner?
12:24And stress levels peak at meal times
12:26as Dom results to churning out convenience food on repeat.
12:31Chicken burgers.
12:32Yeah.
12:33And they rarely get their five a day.
12:36I don't understand how we get it so wrong.
12:39But we're here to change that.
12:42Kelly finds the kitchen an uncomfortable place to be,
12:44so I want to help her overcome that and make it a more welcoming space.
12:49Is Dom's organised chaos?
12:51Yeah.
12:51Well, don't worry.
12:52You can blame me.
12:54Well, I'm taking Dom to the supermarket to try and break his habit of daily shopping trips.
13:00Let's get ourselves a big trolley.
13:01Yeah, well, I never normally get a trolley.
13:03I get a basket because I don't have to queue.
13:05See, that's where you're going wrong.
13:07You're having to come back three or four times that week.
13:10Dom's been spending four hours a week shopping.
13:13We need to cut this wasted time.
13:16So, do you think you spend so long in the shops just to get out of the arse?
13:19Yeah.
13:20Yeah, I think I do it.
13:22So, if we can get them four hours a week down to one hour a week.
13:25Well, I could get a hobby.
13:26As long as the hobby is not coming to supermarkets, we're all right, aren't we?
13:31We're chucking nothing in this trolley that we don't need, all right, mate?
13:35Nutrition is seriously lacking in Evan's house.
13:37So, top of our list, fruit and veg.
13:40We should do what I like to call eat the rainbow.
13:42Right.
13:42Me and my kids love doing it.
13:44Because each colour represents a different sort of nutrients it's going to offer you.
13:48Yeah.
13:48So, let's grab a couple of peppers.
13:50If you grab some avocado.
13:54It's looking beautiful, isn't it?
13:57You have a lot of fruit and veg in your diet.
13:59Fruit, we're not too bad with.
14:01Yeah.
14:01I'd say veg, we're really lacking.
14:04So, this is perfect.
14:05Yeah.
14:05Eating the rainbow is exactly what we need to do.
14:07Dom needs quick options at meal times.
14:10But fast food doesn't always mean unhealthy choices.
14:14This basmati rice is amazing.
14:16It's super convenient, takes a couple of minutes.
14:18This stuff makes the best egg fried rice.
14:21Definitely give it a go.
14:22The more you cook this, the less you're going to use your air fryer.
14:24We'll get you off that air fryer addiction if it's the last thing we do.
14:28And I want that oven back in action.
14:31We need to grab ourselves some olive oil.
14:36Oh, Joe.
14:37You're such a liability.
14:40Dom!
14:40Be more careful, will ya?
14:43I'm so sorry.
14:44Clean up on aisle four, please.
14:46While you're causing chaos, I'm bringing order to the freezer.
14:51It's full.
14:52I mean, there is so much food.
14:53I was worried that you're not going to have room to put anything in.
14:56When you buy something fresh like this, the packaging isn't meant to go in the freezer.
15:00If you leave all that air, it won't last very long.
15:03You'll see it's already getting freezer burns.
15:05Make sure it's in a freezer bag that's airtight.
15:07It'll last for so much longer.
15:09I'm 46.
15:10How has nobody told me this till now?
15:14At the moment, Dom is heating up different packaged foods every meal time.
15:18But home cooking shouldn't be daunting.
15:20And it can be cheaper and healthier.
15:23The thing that I'd be worried about, Dom, is that with so much processed food,
15:27you've got no idea how much nutrients are going into their diet,
15:30how many of the five a day they're having.
15:32The more you can cook from scratch, the more you have control about how much...
15:36I suppose you know what's going in there.
15:37And I reckon homemade burgers will be a real winner.
15:41And the best thing to do when you're making burgers,
15:43is when you get your minx, have a look at the fat contents.
15:46Right, right.
15:47So if you're making a spaghetti bolognese, a spag bol,
15:49you probably want about 5% fat.
15:51But because we're making a burger, we want it nice and juicy.
15:54I'll stick in a 10% fat in there, and we'll make the most amazing burgers.
15:58You'll never have a processed burger again in your life.
16:03Our shop is almost done.
16:05And we've not been distracted from our shopping list.
16:08Oh, look, you can buy a canoe.
16:10Well, almost.
16:11In our trolley, we have everything we need to put nutrition back on the menu.
16:18Afternoon, all right? Lovely, OK?
16:19How are you?
16:19Yeah, I'm good, thank you.
16:20So what's your plan? What are you making?
16:22We're going to do some batch cooking.
16:24Oh, nice.
16:25Yeah, I'm not used to shopping like this.
16:26Not used to shopping, that is.
16:29Isn't it nice not having a basket?
16:32It's a new experience.
16:34And now that we've finished reorganising this kitchen, cooking will be a new experience for Dom too.
16:40Before we reveal the freezer to you, I want to tell you we threw nothing out.
16:45OK?
16:47Oh, wow.
16:49That's crazy, considering you've taken nothing out.
16:52It used to be full of pointless packaging.
16:55We've ditched that and sorted everything out so it's easy to see what's in there.
16:59And we've created space for some batch meals.
17:03And you can come again.
17:07Before, Dom was racing up and down the kitchen, but now we've reorganised it, so all the food's near the
17:14cooker.
17:15That's good.
17:17You can now see everything that's there.
17:19It's about making your cooking experience as short as possible.
17:23I'm convinced this is going to make a massive difference.
17:26With the kitchen sorted, it's time to get batch cooking.
17:29Some easy, tasty, healthy meals.
17:32We're starting with a family favourite mac and cheese.
17:36We're packing it with extra veg and making double, so we can start stocking up that freezer.
17:42How do you usually have your macaron cheese?
17:44Straight from the ready meal aisle.
17:48Have you ever made it from scratch?
17:50Only with packet mix.
17:53That was made from scratch.
17:54The cheese sauce scares me.
17:56A lot of people feel like that.
17:57And I want to show you how absolute simple it is.
18:00And to help them get the veg they urgently need, I'm going to be making my rainbow salad on the
18:05side.
18:06To make the sauce, pop the butter in the pan, add plain flour and give it a mix.
18:11Yeah, this is the bit that always scares me.
18:14All we've done is put two ingredients in the pan.
18:16And that's a roux.
18:18Ah, yeah.
18:18You can use as is to thicken stews and soups or, like us, turn it into a sauce.
18:26Add eight cups of milk, stirring all the time so it doesn't go lumpy.
18:30All that roux has started to melt through.
18:32It sort of looks velvety.
18:34This is now turning into a white sauce.
18:37So if you're ever doing a lasagna or you're doing fish and you want a white sauce, this is it.
18:42Pot some fresh parsley in if you're serving with fish.
18:45But as we're making mac and cheese...
18:47Right, let's get our cheese in.
18:49I'm adding some ready grated cheddar.
18:52It's quick and saves on the washing up.
18:54A couple of minutes and it'll melt down lovely.
18:56So, Dom, how do you feel about making your own cheese sauce?
18:59I feel a lot more confident now.
19:02You've, like, put my fears to rest.
19:04I feel the only thing holding you back is your confidence.
19:07Yeah, but this has definitely sparked my enthusiasm.
19:11Good.
19:11That's exactly what we were looking for.
19:13Put half the batch in labelled airtight bags in the freezer,
19:17ready to quickly defrost for more mac and cheese or moussaka or cheesy leeks.
19:22So many possibilities.
19:24Pour the rest of the sauce over the pasta.
19:28And to help them up that nutrition score, we're adding in veg.
19:32We're using sweet corn and we're using tomatoes.
19:35Yeah.
19:35But we could change it up.
19:36We could use other veg as well. Broccoli and...
19:38Yeah.
19:39So the lovely thing about this is we know exactly what's gone into this.
19:44No additives, preservatives.
19:46Good honest food.
19:47Yeah.
19:48It is fuel that you all need.
19:51Finally, sprinkle some breadcrumbs on the top.
19:53I love adding a crunchy top to this.
19:56And pop it under the grill.
19:59Meanwhile, my rainbow salad is done.
20:02That is a bowl full of goodness.
20:05Looks amazing.
20:05So to add to this, I'm going to make what I like to call the jam jar dressing.
20:10It's a blend of olive oil, whole grain mustard, white wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar.
20:16It's cheaper than the shop bought and you can keep it in the fridge for up to a month.
20:20If you want to do your best Tom Cruise impression, come and give me some will ya?
20:28That's better.
20:29That's a lovely jam jar of salad dressing.
20:33Right, it's time to get all the Evans to the table to get stuck in.
20:36Right guys, dig in.
20:39Wow.
20:40This looks lovely.
20:42Now this is a proper macaroni cheese.
20:47Indy, what do you think of the mac and cheese?
20:50Good.
20:51Yeah!
20:52Excellent.
20:53Do you prefer this mac and cheese or the one that daddy makes from a packet?
20:58This one.
20:59Yeah!
21:00You like?
21:01Yeah.
21:02This is going to be life changing in terms of a lot going to be plate spinning now and dinner
21:06will be over relatively quickly.
21:08Xander, what do you think dad can do if he's got more time in the evenings?
21:12Relax and chill out.
21:14Sounds good.
21:16I might actually have to go in for a little bit more if anyone.
21:18Come on, mine's to ya.
21:19No?
21:22So far, so good.
21:24We've cut Dom's shopping trips down by three hours a week and we've made a healthy meal
21:29that the whole family can sit down together to enjoy.
21:33The nutritional aspect was huge for me.
21:36It's going to be a massive life change, not just for me but for all of us.
21:43Batch cooking is about making your time in the kitchen as efficient as possible.
21:48In my test kitchen, I'm going to show Joe one of my favourite snack hacks.
21:53So Joe, do you ever eat noodles?
21:56The older boys do.
21:57It's just easy.
21:59I want to show you how you can make your own homemade version using a lot of bits and
22:03bobs up that you've got in the fridge.
22:05It's just a great snack.
22:06Yeah, and I like the fact that we're not wasting food.
22:09Chop up some vegetables, cooked meat and fresh herbs.
22:13Grab some rice noodles or any instant noodles and push them into the jar.
22:18Then add some chopped veg along with the cooked meat if you'd like.
22:22You can literally just put whatever you want in.
22:24I'm going to go for some chicken.
22:26Yeah.
22:26Then I might go for some mushrooms, spring onions, baby corn.
22:30I love baby corn.
22:31I love a bit of coriander.
22:33No way.
22:34You and I have like polar opposite tastes, don't we?
22:37Yeah.
22:37It's like chewing perfume.
22:40Once it's filled almost to the top, add either a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce or grate
22:46in half a stock cube.
22:47If you plunked it in, it wouldn't disperse the same and it would get stuck in all the
22:51noodles.
22:52Close the lid and it goes in the fridge dry, just like that.
22:56Grab them out whenever you want, add some hot water covering all the noodles, leave
23:01it for a couple of minutes, give it a stir.
23:03That's it, yeah?
23:04That is it.
23:05So simple and tasty.
23:06Mmm.
23:10In the Evans house, currently the responsibility of cooking falls entirely on Dom's shoulders.
23:16In all the time we monitored the kitchen with our cameras, Kelly didn't set foot in there
23:22once.
23:23There's a colossal barrier and I want to know if we can break it down.
23:28You don't go into the kitchen a lot at all at the moment.
23:31And I sort of want to understand why that is.
23:34There's just too much temptation really.
23:35And although I've lost eight and a half stone, I've still got more to go.
23:39If I start to linger then I might get tempted.
23:42And I've come such a long way, I just don't want to mess it up really.
23:46Yeah.
23:46It is the kind of time period between deciding to cook something and starting to cook something, where I start
23:54to think, oh, but I'm hungry now, what can I eat now?
23:57Because actually, that's really hard.
24:00If you already have it planned of, this is what I'm going to make, then you're going in there with
24:05an absolute purpose.
24:06Yeah, because I've got a certain amount of willpower.
24:09But I think cooking is daunting.
24:11Yeah.
24:11When you've not really done much of it before.
24:13I think we can make it really simple for you.
24:15And once you've done one or two, all of a sudden it's like, oh, I can do another one.
24:20I really think that it would be amazing to get you back in the kitchen for one whole night.
24:26It gives Dom a night off.
24:28Yeah, no, that would be great.
24:29It would be wonderful.
24:30Shall we go and cook?
24:31Let's go.
24:33Confidence is key in the kitchen, so I'm going to show Kelly a dish that's super simple to make.
24:39Chinese honey chicken.
24:41It meets all her nutritional needs and the whole family will love it.
24:47We're going to make one for the freezer and one to have just now.
24:51With a couple of minutes extra, you've already got an extra meal done.
24:54Awesome.
24:55You're so jibber today, isn't you?
24:57Slice some baby corn and dice the chicken.
24:59You can also use pork or tofu.
25:02How's that, Suzanne?
25:03That's great.
25:05Then grab honey, soy sauce and some garlic and ginger puries.
25:09Or you could switch it up and add some sweet and sour sauce.
25:12See, the great thing, Kelly, about doing back to cooking is that you can totally adapt it to your particular
25:18taste.
25:19Add in frozen chopped onions and peppers or other frozen veg of your choice.
25:24Chuck it in there.
25:26Plus corn flour to thicken the sauce.
25:28So with this recipe, what's great about it is it's all going in the pan together.
25:33It's minimal of fuss.
25:35It really is as simple as that.
25:37That is now ready to cook.
25:39Good. Easy.
25:40Now, Kelly, turn it upside down and dump it all in.
25:43So far, so good.
25:45Cook for around 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
25:49It does smell nice.
25:50Have we managed to alleviate any of your cooking fears from this recipe?
25:54Yeah, definitely.
25:55I would never have thought to put everything in together.
25:57I think I could definitely do this.
25:59Right, so I started filling up my batch bag.
26:01Yep.
26:02Let's go.
26:03This could get messy.
26:03I'm just going to warn you.
26:05Joe, what doesn't get messy with you?
26:07Squeeze the air out so you don't get freezer burn.
26:10Freeze flat, then store upright so it doesn't take up too much space.
26:15Shall I stick this in the freezer now?
26:16Perfect.
26:17You can serve with plain rice or noodles, but we're upping the protein for Kelly with egg
26:21fried rice.
26:23Joe.
26:23Yes.
26:23I'm going to get you chopping the spring onions, please.
26:26Right.
26:27Now that is good.
26:28I'm well impressed.
26:30Thank you very much.
26:31Use ready-cooked packet rice for the quickest results.
26:34Just squeeze the packets to break up the rice and add to the beaten eggs along with the
26:39soy sauce and spring onions.
26:41Just because we're trying to get the most nutritious meal possible for the family, I
26:46think we could add some peas from the freezer.
26:48We don't need to cook them first as they'll cook in the heat of the pan.
26:52In 15 minutes that we've been in the kitchen, we have made a whole Chinese meal, the side
26:58dish, and we've already made a whole other meal for another night.
27:02That's how easy batching can be.
27:04Why don't we have a taste of it and see what we think?
27:06I thought he was never going to say that.
27:08It looks lovely.
27:12Mmm.
27:13What do we think, Kelly?
27:14I think it's awesome.
27:15And the kids will love it.
27:17So we've saved the family time, upped their nutrition, and now Kelly's relaxed back into
27:22the kitchen.
27:23I think it's madness that we've been buying ready meals when this was quite easy.
27:28I'm already seeing that I could see you in the kitchen.
27:31All I'm thinking about now is who's going to do the dishes.
27:33Well, I was thinking Suzanne.
27:35Oh no, my job here is done.
27:37Baby steps for me.
27:38It's going to be me then, isn't it?
27:40Yeah.
27:40Some things never change, like being at home.
27:42Love it.
27:43Thank you, guys.
27:44I now feel confident that I could make that again and again.
27:48It feels really nice to have the sense of achievement that I've accomplished something
27:53that I wouldn't have even attempted this morning.
27:55And it tasted good.
27:57Result.
28:05In Bridgetown, South Wales, we're helping the Evans family,
28:09who's eating habits have spiralled out of control, with Dad Don preparing five different
28:14convenience meals every single night.
28:17Two air fryers on the go.
28:18And everyone was eating apart, and sometimes even alone.
28:22All dreddy.
28:23Chicken nuggets.
28:25They're desperate for change.
28:26And I want to hear what Evans' kids, Xander, Lucas and Indy, want from their family
28:31meal times.
28:33Hello, you lot.
28:34Are these your doggies?
28:35Yeah.
28:36Oh, how cute are they?
28:37Are we allowed to get in the air?
28:39Yeah.
28:40Yeah?
28:40Sit down.
28:41Oh, look at this little fella.
28:45You know what?
28:46We've got to be careful because if Stacey sees this, she'll be a sister, I'll bring one
28:51of these dogs home with me.
28:52Yeah.
28:53So guys, if there's one thing you could change about dinner times, what would it be?
28:58Probably apple veg.
29:00More veg.
29:01What about you, Lucas?
29:02What would you change about dinner times?
29:05Do you want to sit by the table?
29:07No.
29:08How many times would you say you eat round the table at the minute?
29:11We're lucky once a month.
29:13Christmas.
29:14Do you like it when you sit round the table at Christmas?
29:16Yeah.
29:16I just like it.
29:18You like being around the family, don't you?
29:20Yeah.
29:20Yeah.
29:21We could do something about that, can't we?
29:24It's so easy to fall into an unhealthy rut with family meal times.
29:28I feel we don't have time to eat as a family.
29:31I think as parents with kids with additional needs, you kind of feel like you spend your
29:36whole life fighting for what they need.
29:39So I think that sometimes you just prioritise your energy.
29:42You've only got so much energy.
29:44You know, with my own kids, I always encourage them to get involved with the cooking.
29:48Because I think, you know, they take ownership over it.
29:51We've got the perfect recipe that the whole family can get involved with.
29:55Right, you's lot.
29:56Burgers come across as a firm favourite in this house.
29:59So I thought, what better thing to do than make our own burgers?
30:03Making burgers from scratch is quick and easy.
30:07Freeze them raw, then just defrost and cook on the hob or barbecue.
30:11Why don't you not do the burgers?
30:13Me, Lucas at Indy, we'll do the toppings and the burger sauce.
30:17Sound good?
30:17Come on then, let's go.
30:21Right, let's get started.
30:22We are doubling this up.
30:24So you're going to get five burgers for now, five for the freezer.
30:28OK?
30:29Add half an egg and some American mustard to beef mince, then season it.
30:34OK, Xander, now is the fun part.
30:36You can decide who's going to get their hands in there.
30:38We need to combine it all together.
30:40Should I do it? Go for it.
30:42To personalise the burger, add your favourite herbs or spices to the mix.
30:46You could even turn them into meatballs.
30:48Just swap the mustard for some dried rosemary.
30:51Just enjoy it, Xander, you're allowed to be messy.
30:54Over here, we've got a colourful collection of toppings at the ready.
30:59OK, what do you want on your burger, Andy?
31:01Anything?
31:02You want tomatoes?
31:02Chuck some tomatoes on there if you want some tomatoes.
31:05Yeah, nice.
31:06Making burgers is a great family activity and cheaper than pre-made.
31:10Each burger patty costs less than a pound.
31:13These burgers come in at under 90 pence.
31:16Wow.
31:17So, really cost-efficient.
31:18Well, you think you're saving money having instant-type burgers
31:21and microwave burgers, but, in fact, they're quite expensive.
31:25In terms of nutrition as well, you know what's gone into it.
31:28It's only got a few ingredients, so, nutritionally, it's great.
31:32What do you think, Xander?
31:34Really good. Yeah, it's fun.
31:36That's brilliant.
31:37So, I'm going to give you half each.
31:40Put a dollop in your hand and very gently roll it around.
31:45I like to give it a smoosh.
31:47Push it down into a burger patty.
31:49For a truly deluxe burger, add a chunk of cheese in the middle of the patty
31:54for a delicious melting centre.
31:56Xander, yours are looking absolutely perfect.
31:59Looking better than mine.
32:00That's great.
32:01Look at them.
32:02Oh, amazing.
32:03I'm just going to show these two how to make the best burger sauce.
32:06All right, we'll get these on the barbecue, then.
32:08Sounds good.
32:09Chop up some gherkins, then chuck in the mayonnaise and tomato sauce,
32:13a touch of American mustard, then give it a good old stir.
32:16So, now I've got our gherkins in.
32:18Oh, we've got this.
32:19Well done, mate.
32:20Get in there, Lucas.
32:22That is perfect.
32:24And it's done.
32:26Good job, mate.
32:28Right, we're ready when you are, guys.
32:30Look at these.
32:32Delicious protein-packed homemade burgers the whole family have made.
32:37It felt like a real team effort, didn't it?
32:39Oh, it's brilliant.
32:40Everybody in the family has been part of the process.
32:43We're all sat round the table together.
32:45That's what food's all about.
32:46Family and sharing moments together.
32:49Kelly's surgery means she can't eat a whole burger,
32:51but that doesn't mean her being excluded.
32:54We've made year one into a lovely little salad.
32:58You've got the burger sauce and then we've just crumbled it over the top of it.
33:01It's a really nice way to still enjoy the burger.
33:04I'm impressed.
33:05No need for separate meals anymore.
33:07Lucas, take it away, mate.
33:12Yeah.
33:14And from the burger connoisseur of the family, that's quite the compliment.
33:19Fantastic.
33:20It's while she's sauce is amazing.
33:23That's really amazing.
33:24That's what I like to hear.
33:26I think that's got to be the fastest burger eating I've ever seen.
33:29Lucas has absolutely demolished that burger.
33:33Is it good, Lucas?
33:34Are you enjoying it?
33:35Yeah.
33:36I loved it.
33:37It was actually the nicest burger I've ever had.
33:40Even Lucas loved it.
33:42You saw his little face.
33:43Do you know the other thing actually, thinking about it, is he said he'd finished.
33:47When I asked him if he wanted more, he actually said, finished.
33:51Whereas usually, after eating a burger out, he would still be hungry.
33:56So actually, that was a bit of a light bulb moment.
33:59Nutritious food is filling.
34:02It felt brilliant sitting with the whole family,
34:05so we can have that quality time together.
34:07It's going to be a real culture change for us.
34:13Sometimes, even the most seasoned batch cook gets caught out with nothing ready for dinner.
34:18In my test kitchen, I'm going to show Joe some quick options.
34:23Even the most organised people sometimes find it all goes to pot.
34:26Do you ever find that?
34:27On a regular basis.
34:29What do you do on those nights?
34:30Panic.
34:31I don't know, you know, maybe do a take-out or something like that.
34:34I want to show you three quick sauces to save you getting that take-out.
34:37Store them in the freezer and whip them out when you need a quick, nutritious meal.
34:41First, we're making a curry sauce.
34:44Fry some frozen chopped onions in olive oil, then add garlic and ginger purees.
34:49I love the smell of cooking onions.
34:51When I used to go to the football to watch the Arsenal,
34:54they weren't the burgers that I wanted, it was the onions.
34:57Add in chopped tomatoes, curry powder and coconut milk.
35:01This is going to make a lovely, creamy consistency.
35:05So in a few minutes, we have an easy and tasty curry sauce.
35:09While that's bubbling away, I think we should make another sauce.
35:12Let's go for it. Come on in.
35:14Now for a tomato sauce.
35:16Fry some frozen onions, add chopped tomatoes, garlic and chopped basil.
35:21It's easy. In ten minutes, we've made two sauces.
35:24I'm very impressed.
35:25And finally, pesto.
35:27I didn't like it as a kid, but as I've got older, I've grown to like it.
35:31I think we're showing our age.
35:32I don't think there was pesto around when we were little.
35:34Hold up.
35:35I don't think we're in the same bracket.
35:37I'm joking.
35:39Pop some chopped basil, garlic and Parmesan cheese in the blender.
35:43It just smells incredible, doesn't it?
35:45So good, yeah.
35:46And throw in some pine nuts, a good glug of olive oil and it's done.
35:54I just want to dip my little finger in.
35:56Go for it.
35:59Ah, that is delicious.
36:01Now, when we're at that stage...
36:04Oh, here we go.
36:05Where the magic happens to.
36:07All these sauces can be stored in the freezer in ice cube trays.
36:11The funky cubes are coming out again.
36:13They're always there on standby.
36:15Pop out whatever you fancy, whenever you fancy.
36:19Oh, it looks gorgeous.
36:21The possibilities are endless.
36:23With the tomato sauce, you can use it for pizza or gnocchi.
36:27The pesto can go with pasta or fish.
36:30And for a quick curry, team up the curry sauce
36:33with some prawns from the freezer.
36:36Wow.
36:37I mean, just looking at it is incredible.
36:39The colours are insane.
36:41And to think that we'll spend 15 minutes making them sauces.
36:44Imagine how much time it's going to save you in the long run.
36:47Now, I think I understand funky ice cubes.
36:51It's a good idea.
36:52I'm getting your runs to my way of thinking, too.
36:55My freezer will never look the same.
36:56Exactly.
37:00We've shown the Evans how they can eat together, overcome Kelly's food fears and free up some of Dom's precious
37:06time.
37:07Now, they have to put it into practice alone.
37:11So, I have done a full planner for the next month just to help you on your journey when we're
37:17not here.
37:17So, I'm still slightly with you in your kitchen.
37:20There are tonnes of meal ideas that the whole family will like and want to eat together.
37:25You know, we've got our mac and cheese here on week one, but we've also got our mac and cheese
37:30on week four.
37:31But you would have already made the cheese sauce, so this one is going to be really easy to do.
37:36And the kids love chicken dippers.
37:37We've got some chicken here that we've done in breadcrumbs, so you can make them yourself now.
37:42Brilliant.
37:42I've included lots of breakfast and lunches as well.
37:45I thought that would help for you and sort of hit some of your nutritional goals.
37:49As well as more delicious, easy dinners like Cajun salmon tacos and meatball toad in the hole.
37:56The menu's packed with nutrition and includes their five a day.
38:01How do you feel looking at that?
38:03You've definitely equipped us with the skills, so this doesn't look daunting.
38:06And Kelly, is it something that is daunting to you?
38:09No, it's making me hungry.
38:12And I'm even looking at some of these recipes thinking,
38:15oh, I can do a little spin-off with that, I can add this to that,
38:18so I can really play around with it, or we can play around with it.
38:22I tell you what, Don, you feel your creative juices flowing,
38:26and that really, really makes me happy.
38:28It's really giving me motivation now, and food for thought.
38:31Oh, stop it!
38:33That was wicked.
38:36All right, catch you later.
38:37Bye, guys!
38:40I love the planner.
38:42I feel like this is definitely achievable for us as a family.
38:45I don't feel so fearful of food or the kitchen.
38:48It's definitely given us a bit of a reset.
38:51We can only take this forward and onwards and upwards now.
38:55I do feel like we've left them in a healthier place.
39:01That it would be a real shame if I go back and they haven't stuck to the plan.
39:13We have been in Bridge End helping the Evans family,
39:18who are spending too much money and time on their chaotic mealtimes.
39:22There's two air fryers on the go.
39:25Kelly O'Zaza is first, okay?
39:29To help get them back on track, we gave them a 28-day meal plan.
39:33It's really giving me motivation now.
39:36And I'll show them how much money they could save.
39:38These are your new stats and they are pretty impressive.
39:41Oh, my gosh.
39:42Really shocked.
39:43Yeah, I did not think it would be that high.
39:47It's been a week since we left them.
39:49Today, I am going to do the fajitas.
39:52And Dom's already in the swing of batching.
39:54So I'll just mix all the fajitas spice in and then bag half
39:59and then the other half's in the fridge ready for when the kids get in from school.
40:03Brilliant.
40:04Suzanne gave us the four-week plan.
40:06It's actually been a revelation.
40:09Kids really like the meals and I can't see us deviating from this.
40:13It's been really good.
40:14And it's not just the cooking that's being transformed.
40:17Dom is embracing shopping once a week.
40:19What shall we get first?
40:21And Kelly's helping out too.
40:23Start with the fruit.
40:25We've really embraced everything Jo and Suzanne has told us.
40:28So we need strawberries.
40:30Yeah, eating the rainbow.
40:32And then should we get blueberries?
40:35Yes.
40:35What's up, Marks, Dom?
40:37I've got my list and I've got it structured
40:41according to what I'm going to make or what we're going to make.
40:44Shopping with a list could save you up to 20%.
40:47So it really does pay to be organised.
40:50Get two lots so we can batch, cook one and batch one.
40:54You can't look at that aisle.
40:56That's the aisle of the past, yeah?
40:58These are the aisles of the future.
41:02So is this the healthiest shop you've seen today?
41:04This is the healthiest shop today, by far.
41:06I think Jo would be proud.
41:08I think he would be.
41:09I certainly am.
41:10They've taken all of our tips on board.
41:13And not only is this shop healthier, it's cheaper too.
41:16Looking at this now, everything we've got for a week, £98.90.
41:21You know, you were spending 250 quid a week, probably.
41:26I'm really pleased.
41:28It should just get easier from now on in.
41:31Two weeks on and it looks like it's also a team effort in the kitchen.
41:36So the lasagna we had last week, should we have that for tea?
41:40Yeah, I fancy lasagna this evening.
41:41Awesome.
41:42Good shop.
41:42And I will make a salad.
41:44I'm going to get the kids in.
41:46The barrier between Kelly and the kitchen has broken down.
41:50I feel healthier in myself.
41:52My weight has started to go down again.
41:54But also, I'm not as fearful of the kitchen.
41:58And the family now sit together around the table at mealtimes.
42:03What do you think of the salad?
42:05Oh, I love you indeed.
42:07Like a big ready meal.
42:08I think salad is one of my favourite things.
42:10One of your faves.
42:12Before, if I ate pasta, if I ate bread,
42:15I would just feel this immense guilt.
42:19This process has allowed me to see that, actually,
42:22all food is okay, providing it's in moderation.
42:26So I feel quite free in that sense.
42:30And it's bringing the family closer together.
42:33What did you do today, Inns?
42:34I went swimming.
42:36Is it good?
42:37Get to go in the deep end?
42:38Yes.
42:39Because I'm not frightened of it anymore,
42:41I can eat with my family without sort of kicking myself after it,
42:45feeling guilty.
42:46It's really yummy.
42:47Is it?
42:49Well, you haven't eaten at all.
42:51With our changes and the loads shared,
42:54Dom has more free time to enjoy with the family.
42:57He can even fit in a spot of Dad dancing.
43:00Amazing.
43:01And a spot of art.
43:03So I always used to do painting, didn't I?
43:05Yeah.
43:05I always used to paint canvases.
43:07Did you think they were any good?
43:09Yeah.
43:09Do you want me to start doing them again, me and you?
43:12We can paint canvases.
43:13Yeah.
43:14A huge weight has been lifted and I actually feel in control over my time.
43:20Ooh, Inns, I'm going to do the hooves pinky purple.
43:25We all feel more bonded as a family.
43:28It's going brilliantly.
43:30So far, so good.
43:32We've worked out that if they stick to this long term,
43:34they could turn their lives around.
43:37I want to go and show them exactly how.
43:40How have you been?
43:41Good.
43:44So, you were spending just over £250 a week on your shopping
43:49and you were spending over 17 hours a week eating,
43:52shopping, preparing food
43:54and when we looked at your nutrition intake,
43:56it was well below the government guidelines.
43:59It's all those areas you don't like to admit to yourself.
44:02Do you think cooking is something that in the future
44:04you're going to do a lot more of?
44:05Please tell me yes.
44:07Oh, absolutely.
44:08There is a chef in there somewhere.
44:10Yeah, I knew it!
44:11I knew it!
44:12So, last time we showed you your stats.
44:15These are your new stats I'm about to show you
44:17if you stick to this plan for a year.
44:19And I've got to say, I had a sneaky peek
44:21and they are pretty impressive.
44:24Shall we have a little look?
44:25Oh, absolutely, yeah.
44:29Oh, my God.
44:30So, guys, if you stick to the plan
44:33that we give you for a year,
44:35your total savings are going to be £7,093.
44:41Wow.
44:42Really shocked.
44:43Yeah, I did not think it would be that high.
44:46With this amount of savings per year,
44:48what can that do for your family?
44:50We could go on holiday.
44:51We haven't had a holiday since before Covid, have we?
44:53Don was spending ages feeding the family, but not anymore.
44:57The time you're going to save, which is staggering,
45:00is 390 hours, which is the equivalent of 16 days.
45:06And as for nutrition, they've smashed it.
45:10Most importantly, out of all of these stats,
45:13is that your nutrition level is well in the green.
45:16So you know your kids are getting exactly the right amount
45:19of nutrients while they're growing up.
45:22So if this is not incentive enough, I don't know what is.
45:26So, and please, keep up the cooking.
45:29Keep up eating as a family.
45:30Thanks, Jo.
45:31It's been a pleasure.
45:32Thanks, Jo.
45:33Take care.
45:33See you later, you guys.
45:37I think the whole process has been life changing
45:39and we're super grateful.
45:41The nutritional aspect was huge for me.
45:44With the boys having their disabilities, you know,
45:47I mean, it would give us peace of mind.
45:50We've done everything we can for the kids nutritionally.
45:53I think the money then and the hours are a bonus.
45:56I think just knowing that we're not failing anymore.
46:00We're not just doing right by them now,
46:02we're setting them up to do right for life.
46:05And you can't put a price on that.
46:14Building a home is stressful as it's having a baby
46:17and starting a new business.
46:18But doing them all at once,
46:21New George Clark's Amazing Spaces starts tomorrow at nine.
46:24Up next, after facing a snake-infested Malaysian mangrove,
46:28money, mind games and mayhem continue
46:31in the irresistible new tempting fortune.
46:34.
46:34.
46:34.
46:36.
46:36.
46:36.
46:37.
46:37You
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