- 2 days ago
Batch from Scratch Cooking for Less S02E06
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00:00All right!
00:02Suzanne and I are back together.
00:04Lead the way, Professor Batch.
00:05Helping families up and down the country
00:07get control of their meal times.
00:10It is fair.
00:13That is an insane amount of snacks.
00:16As a dad of six kids,
00:17I know getting good healthy food on the table fast
00:20can be a nightmare.
00:21Grub is up!
00:23Not feeding the three bears, innit?
00:25With my Batching tips and tricks,
00:27we're going to make those dreaded dinner times
00:29a thing of the past.
00:30Three minutes, your dinner is done, no fuss.
00:34We'll help struggling households.
00:36Oh!
00:38Could you eat that and not die?
00:39Who find feeding the family stressful.
00:41That chicken's off.
00:43We'll analyse what they eat.
00:45You're only getting a balanced diet
00:4720% of the time.
00:50And what they spend.
00:52I thought that was a month!
00:53And thanks to some clever hacks
00:55and easy to follow recipes.
00:57Well done mate!
00:59We'll save them time.
01:00When in life does someone give you three weeks of your life back?
01:03And money.
01:04That's a good holiday, isn't it?
01:06Revolutionising their meal times.
01:08What do we think boys?
01:09Can we have this tomorrow?
01:12If you can't beat it, batch it.
01:16All you can't see is ever going back.
01:18It's life changing isn't it? Definitely.
01:19It's a hug and a ball.
01:21Aw, come here.
01:29Today's Suzanne and I are in Nottingham.
01:31Helping a family whose meal times have got out of control.
01:36Woah, Jill, what a magnificent place you brought me to.
01:39It really is, isn't it Suzanne?
01:40This city is full of history.
01:42This castle has been here nearly a thousand years.
01:44Plus, it's where Robin Hood is from.
01:46You know what he used to do?
01:47Help those in need, a little bit like me and you.
01:50Right, who are we here to help?
01:51So, we're here to meet the Strudwick family.
01:53Both parents work for the NHS, juggling shift work.
01:56The kids have endless after school classes.
01:58That is a recipe for stress.
02:00It sounds like we've came at the right time.
02:01Let's show this family how to make quick, nutritious, delicious meals.
02:05That sounds like a plan, Suzanne.
02:06Let's go.
02:12Ow!
02:15That hit your sister.
02:17Life in the Strudwick family house is anything but quiet.
02:21Thomas, Thomas, no.
02:22For NHS workers Emma and Matt, the juggle is real.
02:27My job is to coordinate people in and out of the emergency department.
02:31I work 12 and a half hour shifts, days and nights.
02:35It's busy, chaotic, a bit like home.
02:39Right, kids, I'm off to work.
02:40Be good.
02:40See you later.
02:40I love you.
02:41I work Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, as a health visitor.
02:44And then I do an out-of-hours GP nursing job as well.
02:48It's just constant in, out, in, out.
02:51Bit like ships in the night.
02:52And then say hello eventually.
02:57Matt and Emma live together, along with two very energetic children.
03:01Ten-year-old Thomas and eight-year-old Florence.
03:05I'm doing dancing and then Thursday I'm doing another dancing.
03:10I do ice hockey, I do climbing and I do art.
03:15Oh no, I forgot swimming on Friday.
03:21Emma and Matt's demanding jobs and unpredictable work schedules
03:24means that communication isn't what it should be.
03:27We have a lot of ways, we have a lot of trips to the supermarket,
03:30probably daily.
03:31See you later.
03:32Bye.
03:32And Matt's long shifts mean he's rarely around at dinner time,
03:35so the cooking falls to Emma.
03:38Kids, we're going to have some dinner.
03:40Add in her own hectic work routine and kids clubs nearly every day,
03:44food has to be quick and easy.
03:47Flo, you're having jug of potato, cheese and beans?
03:49Yeah.
03:49Yep.
03:50And Tommy, are you having noodles?
03:51As well as juggling work and kids clubs, Flo has a dairy allergy,
03:56meaning Emma is often making separate meals.
03:59There's a lot of things she can't eat,
04:00so some nights I'll even make two, three, four different types of meals.
04:06The whole family are living on a diet of quick and nutritionally poor foods.
04:11We worry about the kids' diets, don't we?
04:13The foods that I guess we eat as a family.
04:16Could be a bit healthy.
04:18Their non-stop lives means the Strudwicks are struggling
04:21to find any real family time together.
04:24The kids eat their meals in the dining room
04:27and then I would normally eat in the kitchen or in the living room,
04:31just because it's still doing something, getting ready for something.
04:34It would be amazing, though, wouldn't it?
04:35To, like, sit together and talk about the day.
04:37It would be lovely.
04:42Emma was also diagnosed with spinal stenosis around five years ago,
04:46a condition where the nerves in the spinal cord become compressed,
04:50causing severe pain.
04:52My legs go numb, my arms go numb,
04:55and I drop things and sometimes fall over.
04:57So I do end up doing the easier options for dinner
05:00and that is just to get it in them
05:02and then I can try and sit down.
05:06It does worry me because it isn't going to get better.
05:08I think that's why she tries to have the busy life now
05:11because she knows in the future
05:13that she's not going to be able to do it.
05:19With a lot on the line,
05:21I think they've called us just at the right time.
05:23After you.
05:25Now that everyone's out of the house,
05:27we want to get to the bottom of the hectic meal times.
05:29It's nice and warm in here, isn't it?
05:32Hold up, hold up, look at animals, look.
05:35What's that, one of those bearded dragons?
05:38Look at the little hammock he's got.
05:40God, that's the life, isn't it?
05:41Oh, he's lovely.
05:43Right, Suzanne, this is your domain.
05:44Oh, I love a kitchen.
05:46Do you think this is the fridge?
05:47I reckon that's the fridge.
05:48Right, here we go.
05:49Wow, that is a lot of food.
05:51I mean, there's a lot of stuff that's sort of multiples.
05:54Four punnets of grapes,
05:56double tomato sauce, two huge milks.
05:58And how much butter?
06:00I mean...
06:00They do love a butter, don't they?
06:02Oh, there's more at the back!
06:04Wow!
06:05How much butter does one family need?
06:08Oh, we have got different ones,
06:09dairy-free, non-dairy-free,
06:10but that is still a lot of butter.
06:13A lot of butter and very little planning, I suspect.
06:16Right, shall we try and fry the freezer?
06:18Ah, my happy place.
06:20A well-stocked freezer is the key to a well-run house.
06:24Potato waffles, pizzas.
06:27There's lots of convenient food in there.
06:29Not very much healthy stuff.
06:32Oh, it's one of our favourite cupboards.
06:34Oh, that makes me feel so good.
06:37Quite a lot of processed stuff.
06:39A lot of noodles.
06:40Lots of these conveniency packets.
06:43The beige food might be bad.
06:45What else have we got?
06:46But what's hiding under the hob is a whole different story.
06:51Oh!
06:52My God!
06:54That is an insane amount of snacks.
06:58You've got your biscuits.
07:00Look, we've got pancakes in here.
07:04See, if this is my house,
07:05Stacey has our crisps hanging up on a tension row.
07:08Really?
07:08Yeah, and if you pull too hard, the whole lot comes down.
07:11Right, and what is that?
07:13Look.
07:14Oh, no.
07:15See, you can't, you couldn't.
07:16No.
07:16Every time you go to get a knife or a fork.
07:19Oh, I'll just...
07:20I'll have that spoon and I'll have some biscuits.
07:22And I'll have some biscuits.
07:23Off you go.
07:24You just can't have that.
07:26If this was available to my kids,
07:27this is all that they would be eating.
07:29But not even kids.
07:30If this was available to me,
07:32this is all that I would be eating.
07:35I couldn't help myself.
07:36And that's not all.
07:38Oh!
07:39It's the overspill.
07:40Well, I could do my weekly shopping.
07:43It's no wonder this family have called us for help.
07:46I know.
07:47Hello.
07:48Hello, guys.
07:49Hello.
07:50How are you?
07:51Nice to see you.
07:52So tell us, what is the problem?
07:54OK, so there's a few problems.
07:56I mean, our house is totally chaotic.
07:58There's people in and out all the time.
08:00Mealtimes are just not the easiest.
08:02Bad choices.
08:03Quick cooking.
08:04Probably not the most healthiest either.
08:07If we're going to help this family get on top of their mealtimes,
08:10we're going to need to dig a little bit deeper.
08:13So we've installed cameras to monitor their daily eating,
08:16buying and cooking habits.
08:20Shall we have a little look at what we found out?
08:22Can't wait.
08:27He's just pulling his cereal.
08:29Going to get his spoon.
08:30Ooh!
08:30Ooh!
08:33Oh!
08:34Oh, right!
08:39OK.
08:40100% did not know he did that, but now I do.
08:45Luckily, it's not broken.
08:46It's going in and out.
08:47We've got quite a lot of activity going on in this drawer.
08:50And it's not just the kids who can't resist.
08:52This is hard for you as well, because you're cooking in this area.
08:58While our cameras were in place, the Strudwick snack drawer was filled up with over 400 packets of chocolates and
09:05sweet treats.
09:06Look how much stuff you brought.
09:08What?
09:08I know.
09:10Oh, gosh.
09:11How long does one drawer last?
09:13Is that a week?
09:14We don't know.
09:15We're just constantly topping it up.
09:17It always gets filled up.
09:17It's never empty.
09:18Oh, never empty.
09:19I mean, it is immense.
09:21It would feed a massive family and it should last about a year.
09:27As if the snacks weren't bad enough, Emma and Matt are relying on heavily processed packet foods to get them
09:33through their busy meal times as well.
09:34We've got noodles going and you're tucking into a frozen pizza.
09:39I'm not the most skilled chef, definitely.
09:41And then what's this one?
09:43Spaghetti carbonara.
09:44Again, processed sauces.
09:47There is a lot of standing in the kitchen and eating.
09:50Oh, dear.
09:51A lot of the time you're eating from the pan as well, so you're not even putting it on the
09:54plate.
09:55It doesn't show a very good example at all, does it?
09:58As well as monitoring their eating habits.
10:01For the past month, we've been analysing how much time and money this family is spending and wasting on food.
10:09How much do you think you're spending per week?
10:12£100 a week.
10:14Yeah, £100.
10:15OK.
10:16In reality, you're spending £374.76 a week.
10:21Wow, a lot bigger number than I thought it was going to be.
10:24More than three times what we actually thought we were spending was shocking.
10:28This is the time that you're spending shopping, cooking and preparing the food,
10:33which is 20 hours and 33 minutes a week.
10:36You're almost losing a day every week.
10:39So you're going to the shops around 65 times a month.
10:44One week, you went 22 times.
10:47With us being in and out, they tend to, one of us will go on the way home,
10:50but within two hours of each other, we'd both come back with a milk or a butter.
10:55That's ridiculous.
10:57Our analysis of the family's diet also showed that their overall nutrition was shockingly low.
11:03According to government recommendations, you're only getting a balanced diet around 20% of the time.
11:09Wow, OK.
11:10I knew the nutritional value wouldn't be great, but I had no idea that we had that little amount of
11:16fruit and veg.
11:17It's very eye-opening.
11:20And around 65% of the food that you're eating is actually ultra-processed food that we know is high
11:26in sugar and salt.
11:28Now, this has been linked to things like diabetes, obesity.
11:33Yeah, that's shocking. I mean, in the line of work we do as well, we promote healthy eating.
11:36Yeah, that's not great at all.
11:39Emma and Matt's busy lives are taking a toll on their wallet as well as their health.
11:45Totally head in my hands, ashamed, and we want everything to change.
11:49They're in bad habits, and getting someone out of a bad habit is not always easy.
11:53You don't want your kids living on noodles for the rest of their lives, so they really do need to
11:57sort of stop now.
11:59We've got our work cut out here.
12:11Suzanne and I are in Nottingham, helping the Strudwick family with their mealtimes.
12:17Come here, chicken.
12:18Did you have a good day?
12:19Yeah.
12:19A hectic schedule of shift-working kids' clubs have left this family with no mealtime routine.
12:25Time is a struggle. Get them back from school, get them something for dinner, get changed.
12:32They're out. Let's go.
12:34Between the endless snacks and processed foods, they're hitting a balanced diet only 20% of the time.
12:43But before we can get cooking, first things first, it's time to get this kitchen organised.
12:49One of the bits that I want to start with is this drawer.
12:54So I'm thinking because they are so accessible, and because they're just where you cook as well,
13:01I think we would be better taking this out of here.
13:03Shall we go for it?
13:04Yeah, yeah, let's go.
13:06While Suzanne and Emma tackle the snack drawer...
13:08I feel like I'm in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
13:13Matt and I are heading to the shops to stock up.
13:16Right, here we are.
13:18Our stats have revealed that the lack of planning is costing the Strudwicks, in time and money, with almost £400
13:25a week spent on food.
13:27One time you went to the shops 22 times in one week.
13:31It averaged that around 65 times a month.
13:34Yeah, that's a lot.
13:35We're going to try and streamline everything, okay?
13:37This time we're going in with a plan.
13:39That sounds good.
13:39Alright, let's do this.
13:42I want to show them that by sticking to one big shop a week, they can claw back proper family
13:47time and put some cash back in their wallets.
13:50Because fewer trips means fewer impulse buyers.
13:54First stop is the fruit and veg.
13:57Now this is the recommended daily amount you should be eating.
14:01It's 400 grams or so of fruit and veg.
14:05Well, that's one way to pack in your five-a-day joke.
14:08Now at the minute, you's lot are probably eating the end of that carrot.
14:12What we want you to do is be eating a bag of this each.
14:15That would be a bit of a challenge, but we'll have to give it a go.
14:19Matt and Emma's diet is made up of 65% ultra-processed food.
14:24Factory-made products that offer little to no nutrition.
14:27So to improve their health, we've got to go back to basics.
14:31These little baby cucumbers, they're brilliant because kids can grab them, eat them, off they go.
14:36Peppers, they're nice and colourful, wouldn't they?
14:39Kids love a bit of colour.
14:40With a drawer overflowing with over 400 treats, it's no wonder the Stradwick snacking is out of control.
14:47You've got more sweets in that drawer than in my local sweet shop.
14:50So I feel like we need to sort of get our heads around it and come to some sort of
14:54game plan.
14:55That drawer is so accessible.
14:56Yeah.
14:57The kids can get to it when they get their knives and forks.
14:59They've got to open that sweetie drawer, got to go past all of the temptations and stuff like that.
15:05So if we can replace as many of those sweet treats with dried fruit, it really would make a world
15:10of a difference.
15:11Here we go, we've got some apricots here, some cranberries and raisins.
15:16So how do you think this will go down with Thomas and Flo?
15:18It'll be an adjustment, but it needs to happen.
15:21You'll have a little bit of pushback for the battle.
15:23Oh yeah, I'll definitely have some pushback.
15:25There might be pushback, but these small changes will all add up.
15:29Have they found a sweet corn?
15:30Yeah, they don't mind sweet corn.
15:32Let's get a sweet corn.
15:34I reckon we should get some tuna.
15:36A couple of these for Thomas.
15:37You ain't going to know what's hit him, has he?
15:40And with a more balanced diet at mealtimes, we'll soon get this family back on a healthier track.
15:47Hello, you alright?
15:48We've picked up all the ingredients we need to get this family batch in.
15:53All without another 20 trips to the supermarket this week.
15:57Let's lock and load, let's get out of here.
16:00Job done.
16:01Let's see how Suzanne and Emma got on in the kitchen.
16:05Hello you lot, we're back.
16:07Hello.
16:09When we left, temptation was hard to resist and things were in need of a good old shift around.
16:17You wouldn't believe it, but we've put the pans beside the hob.
16:22The key to a smooth running kitchen is to have everything you need within easy reach.
16:27So where the snacks once lived is now home to everything Matt and Emma needs to get batching.
16:33Where are the snacks?
16:34Aha.
16:35Open that cupboard.
16:36The highest cupboard in the house.
16:39That does make a lot more sense.
16:41Well, out of sight means out of mind.
16:44So the kids, they're either going to go without treats or they're going to learn to be mountain goats.
16:48We've also given the freezer a clean out.
16:51We've not thrown anything away, we have literally just reorganised it.
16:55You've done a great job.
16:56Yeah.
16:57We're now ready to fill it with batch cooking.
16:59Before we get cracking.
17:01Hello you too.
17:01Hi.
17:03I'm going to catch up with Flo and Thomas and Zina by the looks of things to see if they
17:08want to help out too.
17:10Oh, she's so cute.
17:13Do you want to hold her?
17:15I mean, I feel like she's really comfortable where she is.
17:18Let's not stress her out or anything.
17:20Yeah, that's better.
17:21Put her back in the cage.
17:22Back in the bed?
17:23That's the safest place for her.
17:24More like the safest place for you, Joel.
17:26Nice.
17:28What are your favourite foods?
17:30If you could have your favourite dinner tonight, what would you have?
17:32Chicken nuggets.
17:33Chicken nuggets.
17:35Pizza.
17:36I thought so.
17:37And what about you two, can you cook?
17:38Yeah.
17:39Right, Thomas, what do you like to cook?
17:41Noodles from the packet you just put in hot water.
17:43Oh, and do you eat a lot of food from packets?
17:46Yeah.
17:47Yeah?
17:47Would you like to learn to cook stuff that's not from a packet?
17:50Yeah.
17:51Yeah?
17:51Do you fancy coming in the kitchen and doing some cooking with me?
17:54Yeah!
17:56Come on.
17:58First up, we're going to show Emma and the kids that convenience doesn't have to come from a packet.
18:04In just ten minutes, we're going to make some delicious protein-packed fish cakes.
18:09You wait till you see the mess that Joel's about to make.
18:13While I get started chopping the spring onions.
18:16Flo, do you think you could do a big scoop of flour into there for me?
18:20I'm putting our helpers to work.
18:22That's it.
18:25Perfect.
18:25Look at that.
18:26And then for mum, you're going to do the breadcrumbs, okay?
18:33Chuck the tuna in.
18:34Chuck the tuna in.
18:36We're making them with tuna, but they're just as tasty made with vitamin-rich tinned salmon.
18:41Next, we're going to use some mashed potato.
18:44Ready-made mash is brilliant if you're short on time.
18:46And with its lower water content, it's perfect for avoiding soggy fish cakes.
18:51Now we're going to add some peas.
18:53Does anybody like peas?
18:54Do you like peas, Thomas?
18:57Thomas, I'm going to make it my goal to have you enjoy some vegetables before I leave.
19:04Add a good handful of grated cheese, dairy-free for this one, the spring onions and get stuck in.
19:10Go on, don't be scared.
19:12Get right between your fingers, ready, look.
19:15Like Play-Doh, ready?
19:19I'm not sure who's worse, Joe, you or the kids?
19:23Shape into patties, then coat in flour.
19:29That's why I like a girl after my own art.
19:31Why mess around?
19:32Then egg and breadcrumbs.
19:34You're too slow.
19:35Oh, sorry.
19:35Come on, Mum, you're holding up the conveyor belt.
19:38In just 10 minutes, we've made 16 fish cakes, plenty for dinner and a stash for the freezer,
19:44ready to cook from frozen in just 20 minutes.
19:49Well done, everybody.
19:50Well done, well done, well done.
19:52Right, I'm going to go.
19:53You've got to tidy up.
19:54Bye!
19:57With the clean-up done.
19:58No thanks to you, Joe.
20:00It's time to dig in.
20:02Who's having the fish cakes?
20:03Me!
20:03We're serving the fish cakes with a delicious, rich and comforting homemade ratatouille.
20:09A mix of courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes and peppers.
20:13A super simple way to up your five a day.
20:16Shall we have a little taste of the style of the show, which is obviously the fish cakes?
20:20I want thumbs up or thumbs down.
20:23Three, two, one.
20:29Oh, it wasn't a no.
20:31I'll take that.
20:32That's better than nothing, isn't it?
20:34Oh, do you like that?
20:34Yay!
20:37See Thomas eat half of it, that was a massive surprise.
20:40I think we're on to a winner with those, Suzanne.
20:43It's definitely a good start, Joe.
20:45My top tip for getting kids to eat healthier is to get them cooking with you.
20:53It's not just meal times we've got our eye on.
20:56Our kitchen cams caught the kids raiding the snack drawer time after time.
21:01So in our test kitchen, I want to show Joe one of my favourite homemade swaps.
21:07A snack that's wholesome but still guaranteed to win over the kids.
21:13Joe, kids snacks.
21:14Yes.
21:14You've got a lot of kids.
21:15I have got a lot of kids.
21:16Probably a lot of snacks.
21:18Lots of snacks.
21:19If we let our kids snack, they would snack all day long on rubbish.
21:22It's always good to keep something like a fruit bowl out on the counter,
21:25but it's always nice to give them a sweet treat as well.
21:27Yeah.
21:28And I've got a good one today, which is chocolate bark.
21:31I hope you're not barking up the wrong tree with this one, Suzanne.
21:36No chance, Joe.
21:37This treat makes chocolate go further with a boost of nutrient-packed fruit and nut goodness on top.
21:44So we've got dark chocolate and light chocolate.
21:46I can't stand dark chocolate, but my Stacey loves dark chocolate.
21:50Well, we're going to mix the two together so you get a little bit of dark, a little bit of
21:54milk.
21:55Gotcha.
21:55Yeah.
21:56Pour the melted chocolate onto a pre-lined tray.
21:58And then just swirl it together.
22:00Mixing them together keeps the bark sweet.
22:03And since dark chocolate has less sugar and is rich in antioxidants, it's a bit healthier too.
22:09Just enjoy in moderation.
22:11And then what are you going to choose to add to your bark?
22:14So my kids love dried apricot.
22:16We're also adding coconut, dried mango and chopped nuts, but any combination of fruit or nut or even seeds will
22:24work.
22:24And then you just sprinkle while it's still melted. You want everything to stick to the bark.
22:31That's the best looking bit of chocolate I've ever seen.
22:33Think how much you'd pay for that.
22:35You'd pay a fortune for that, wouldn't you?
22:37We paid pennies for that. Pennies.
22:41Just ten minutes in the fridge and your bark should be ready.
22:44You can actually see the swirls really clearly.
22:46It's great, doesn't it?
22:47It looks lovely.
22:49Remove your bark from the paper and break it up.
22:53Cheers.
22:54Cheers.
22:55Oh, that's the best fruit and nut I've had in ages.
22:59That's really nice.
23:00I love it when you trick the kids into eating healthy.
23:08Our cameras showed that with limited time, the Strudricks were struggling to eat balanced meals.
23:14And with Matt working long shifts, the bulk of the cooking was falling on Emma.
23:20Oh, the sun's out. That's nice, isn't it?
23:22Beautiful.
23:23Something Matt knows needs to change.
23:26Talk to me about growing up, having dinner at home with your family when you were a kid.
23:30What was the routine?
23:33Me, myself, grew up as an only child.
23:35Right.
23:35My mum, she worked long hours.
23:37She worked very hard.
23:38But, yeah, it was a lot of eat on the go, processed food.
23:41Is that why you think you're a novice in the kitchen?
23:44I never really had to do it as a child, so I've never learnt the skills.
23:49So the goal is a few recipes under your belt, maybe?
23:53Yeah, start to get a few staples, a few easy things, and then take a lot of the pressure off
23:57Emma.
23:58Yeah.
23:59Emma's had a lot of operations on her spine, so she really struggles to move her neck up and down.
24:04She doesn't show it, but I know she's in constant pain.
24:07She has to take a massive concoction of pain relief to even sleep and get through the day.
24:13If you ever need an incentive to get in the kitchen and get cooking, this is it, isn't it really?
24:19This is it.
24:23To help Matt build his confidence, I'm showing him a simple one-pot wonder.
24:27And in true Batch Lady style, we're also making one for the freezer.
24:31What I'm going to show you today is a Thai chicken and tray bake.
24:35It's the new dad cooking.
24:37That's good to me.
24:38Along with chicken and frozen veg, we're using store cupboard staples,
24:42which means Matt can make this dish again and again, costing less each time.
24:47So, for the marinade, we're going to start with peanut butter, and we need six tablespoons.
24:51I'll try not to eat some from the jar while we're going, I love it.
24:57Soy sauce.
24:58Yeah.
24:59And this is just going to make this lovely flavoured marinade that's going to just go throughout the whole chicken.
25:05The great thing about this recipe is that you can easily change it up,
25:09swapping out the peanut butter for a cormor curry paste,
25:12or even switching the chicken for pork or beef.
25:15How does it feel, cooking from scratch?
25:18Yeah, I'm quite enjoying it so far.
25:20Excellent.
25:22One of my all-time favourite hacks are these garlic and ginger purees,
25:25a no-waste ingredient which will save you time
25:28and still means you can eat tasty homemade meals.
25:32I like ginger and I like garlic, so this has all sounded very nice to me.
25:35Excellent.
25:36Next up, add in the lime juice.
25:38And grate in a stock cube, a brilliant way to get extra flavour.
25:43Perfect.
25:44Now we've made our marinade, pour half into the freezer bag, ready for when you need that quick dinner.
25:49That's great.
25:54Chicken thighs are a great low-cost way of eating chicken.
25:58They're also higher in fat, which means they're much harder to overcook.
26:02Stir that around and get every piece really coated in that marinade.
26:06We are serving our Easy Tray Bake with rice and Pak Choy.
26:10We're adding half the rice to my bag and half the rice to your tray.
26:16Yeah.
26:18Then add in your veg.
26:21And then another comes to the bag that's going in the freezer.
26:24Ready, prepared and frozen when fresh, these shop-bought frozen veggies are a batching staple.
26:30Cost-effective, convenient and nutritious.
26:33So that is that batch done.
26:34Freeze the chicken and marinade separately from the rice and veggies to prevent the rice from expanding.
26:43For the one for the oven, lay your chicken on top of the rice and veggies and pour over the
26:49remaining marinade,
26:50before adding water for the rice.
26:52Delish.
26:54Pop in the oven for 50 minutes and remove the foil halfway through cooking.
26:59How easy was that?
27:00A lot easier than I thought it would be.
27:02It just shows I can probably do it if I put my mind to it.
27:06Look at what you made.
27:09I'm quite proud.
27:11Something smells good.
27:13Mmm.
27:13Well done, mate.
27:14You can hear it, ain't it?
27:15No, it looks amazing.
27:17Shall we have a little taste?
27:21Mmm.
27:22Yeah, it's beautiful.
27:23It is lovely.
27:24Hopefully, this can be the start of him cooking a new dad's dinner.
27:27Oh, you're part of flying colours.
27:29To try something with all them ingredients, it was good fun, actually,
27:34and it's something I definitely want to do more of going forward.
27:47In Nottingham, we're helping a family hooked on a diet of ultra-processed food and snacks.
27:53I have roasted marshmallows.
27:55Roasted marshmallows.
27:56And with a schedule so rammed they have no time for family dinners.
28:00You've got to get rid of your stuff.
28:03With Matt working shifts.
28:05Right, night, kids.
28:06See you in the morning.
28:07All the cooking has fallen to Emma, who's already juggling a stressful job,
28:11kids' clubs and a deteriorating health condition.
28:16So, as well as helping the Strudwicks with their diet,
28:19it's important for me that we take some of the pressure off Emma.
28:23So, Emma, you were saying that you can't do some stuff around the house.
28:26Yeah, so I've got a spinal fusion, so my neck is all fused,
28:30so it restricts my movement.
28:31I have to take a lot of medication.
28:33I'm in pain constantly, but I just carry on.
28:36It's progressively getting worse.
28:37I do get constant numbness in my legs, so sometimes I can't walk properly
28:42because I can't feel them.
28:43One of the good things about batch cooking in advance
28:45is a lot of people with health issues use it to cook when they feel good,
28:50ready for when they have a sort of decline in health.
28:53Yeah, no, that would be good.
28:54Because I do, even on days that I struggle in loads of pain,
28:56I still carry on because I know I have to feed, you know,
29:00everyone in the household.
29:01And if Matt's at work, it's only me that can physically do that.
29:04So you're really looking for something that can work as a meal for everybody
29:08and then save a bit that can still be heated up later on
29:11for anybody else coming in at different times?
29:13Yeah, definitely.
29:14I promise you, we're going to make this so super easy.
29:18I just can't point into words, to be honest with you,
29:19how excited I am for it because it's going to help me now, tomorrow, the future.
29:26With Emma's health in decline, I'm going to show her a recipe
29:30that her future self will thank her for.
29:33Frozen in batches and individual portions,
29:36so there's always a good meal ready whenever it's needed.
29:40So we are going to do hunter's chicken.
29:42I love hunter's chicken.
29:43Most people tend to see it as like a pub thing, don't they?
29:45Yeah, it is. You have it when you're out.
29:46The classic pub lunch.
29:48To get started, I'm going to have you slice some of the tomatoes.
29:53Chicken wrapped in bacon and stuffed with melted cheese.
29:56Quick and easy to prepare, this is comfort food at its finest.
30:01Now, you'll notice this is a lot of chicken,
30:03so the larger the pack you buy, the cheaper per kilo it ends up being.
30:08Another great benefit of batching.
30:10Right, grab a chicken breast,
30:13and then you're just making a little pocket.
30:16By using dairy-free cheese for flow,
30:19this is a dish the whole family can enjoy.
30:21And fold it over.
30:23Some of them are a bit trickier to fold over.
30:25Yours look nice than mine.
30:26That's fine, we're going to use the bacon to put it all together.
30:29To make the bacon go further,
30:31lay it on the board and run the back of the knife across it
30:34to stretch it out.
30:35There you go.
30:36And then wrap it round.
30:39And instead of using two bits of bacon, you're only using one.
30:43Not only cheaper, but healthier too.
30:45So, Emma, what do you struggle most with making dinner each night?
30:49It's the time.
30:50They've got to be out the door for activities,
30:52and we've got into a bit of a cycle of,
30:55yeah, you can have those because I know you'll eat them.
30:56It's fine doing that occasionally.
30:58Yeah.
30:58It's nice to keep trying new things.
31:00Yeah, definitely.
31:02This recipe is great for freezing in family batches
31:04or as individual meals for one,
31:07ready for those nights when Matt is home late from work.
31:10There it goes.
31:11With that one put aside,
31:12it's time to get these ones ready for the oven.
31:15Perfect.
31:15To go with the chicken,
31:17we're serving up some sweet potato wedgies,
31:19a healthier alternative to oven chips.
31:22Do the kids eat sweet potatoes?
31:24I don't think they've tried it.
31:26Do you know what I love about them is,
31:27compared to normal potatoes,
31:29sweet potatoes class is one of your five a day.
31:32Once your potatoes are chopped,
31:33it's time to add some flavour.
31:35So we're going to give them a good pinch of salt.
31:38We're going to go in with our olive oil
31:40because we want them to brown lovely and crisp up.
31:43A couple of teaspoons of paprika.
31:47Sweet potato skin is packed with fibre, nutrients and flavour,
31:51so it's best to keep it on.
31:53Throw it on the tray.
31:55To make sure they crisp up,
31:57spread them out evenly so none of them are touching.
31:59We've got our chicken that's ready to go in the oven
32:02and it can all go in at the same time.
32:07Cook for 20 minutes.
32:09Oh, lovely.
32:10Before taking out and drizzling on a little barbecue sauce.
32:13Because healthy habits are all about balance.
32:17Looks very professional, Emma.
32:18I know.
32:19Then it's back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
32:25Now it's my time to shine.
32:27So out of the way, Suzanne,
32:28I'm taking over the kitchen.
32:30Right, guys.
32:32We're going to make something called a crudité.
32:34Now, it sounds a lot more complicated than it is.
32:36Basically, all we're going to do,
32:38we're going to cut up this lovely veg
32:40and then we're going to make a special dairy-free dip
32:43just for you, Flo.
32:44Who's excited?
32:45Me!
32:46Amazing!
32:48Having a bowl of chopped veggies on the table
32:51is a great way of encouraging them to eat their five a day.
32:54There we go.
32:54There's our cucumber section.
32:57This is my kid's favourite.
32:59Oh, yeah.
32:59I like orange.
33:01You like orange?
33:01Right, let me give you some orange ones to cut.
33:04We're serving our crudité with a dairy-free dip.
33:07Because with busy lives,
33:09sometimes it's about getting the right mix.
33:11Fresh whole ingredients served with a ready-made dip.
33:15Dip your finger in.
33:17What are we saying?
33:18It's tasty.
33:20They look lovely, Joe.
33:21And there's enough portions of veg on that plate
33:23for the whole family.
33:25Well done!
33:26Well done!
33:28And just in time to serve with our hunter's chicken.
33:33Mmm.
33:34That's nice, that is.
33:35Mmm.
33:36Tasting.
33:37Would you want this again?
33:38Mmm.
33:38I love being in the kitchen.
33:41It's really fun cutting and tasting all the food that you make.
33:45I think we've definitely got some more meals on the menu then.
33:47And we have this tomorrow.
33:49If you want, there's one in the freezer.
33:51Well, we couldn't ask for better feedback then, that's Suzanne.
33:55I really hope simple home-cooked meals like this one can become the new normal.
33:59With whole ingredients rich in fibre and protein, a world away from those instant noodles.
34:08And I've got one final hack to show you, Joe.
34:11Sure to become another firm family favourite.
34:16Joe, do you love pizza?
34:17Ooh, don't love a pizza, right?
34:19Do you love curry and naan breads?
34:20I love a curry and naan bread, where are we going with this?
34:23This is a snack that I love that mixes the two together.
34:27Okay.
34:27And they are pizza naans.
34:29So good.
34:29Fusion of flavours.
34:30A fusion!
34:32Tiny little bit of oil in the pan.
34:35And then we're going to add some frozen diced onions.
34:38Yep.
34:40Teaspoon of garlic puree.
34:42Next up, two teaspoons of curry powder go in.
34:45Lovely.
34:47Once your onions have browned and been coated in the spices.
34:51Add in your tinned tomatoes, cook down for 10 minutes and leave to cool.
34:56I'll put a little spoonful in each.
34:58Smells brilliant.
35:01Next up, toppings.
35:03We've got corn, peppers and ham, but cubed paneer would taste really good too.
35:08Too much.
35:11Sorry, naan.
35:13You don't need it on all of them.
35:15You could just put it on some if you want.
35:16It's entirely up to you.
35:18A pizza is definitely not a pizza, but it's got no cheese on it.
35:20And I've got my extra ingredient.
35:24No.
35:25My banana.
35:26No, you can't do that.
35:27I heard that it's all the rage in Sweden.
35:30I don't care what they're doing in Sweden.
35:33You can't put banana on your pizza.
35:35You're an animal.
35:36There's a time and a place for fruit that's usually in a fruit bowl.
35:39Do you know what I mean?
35:41You're not convincing me with this one, Suzanne, even if they do eat it in Sweden.
35:48Right, let's get cooking, shall we?
35:51After around eight minutes in the air fryer, your pizza man should be ready.
35:56Look at that.
35:58I mean, they look incredible.
36:00I'm not going to try the banana one.
36:02Don't worry about that.
36:03I'm not giving you a bit.
36:04Oh, thank God for that.
36:05Cheers.
36:12Too much cheese on mine.
36:14It's lovely though.
36:20When we arrived, the Strudwick's mealtimes were a nightmare.
36:24Relentless shift work and kids clubs meant no time to prepare.
36:28So dinners were quick and heavily processed and the family rarely ate together.
36:34With Matt's shifts all over the place, Emma was left carrying a weight of dinner times
36:37and the family were in a rut of convenience, food and constant snacks.
36:44To make sure the family feel fully prepared when we leave,
36:48I've created a 28-day balanced meal plan to set them off.
36:52Very impressive.
36:53Breakfast, lunch and dinner are taken care of with quick and simple recipes I know they're going to love.
36:59When you start on week one, there'll be meals that you are doubling up and putting some in the freezer
37:04and you'll have them on another week.
37:06So you'll find that as you progress through the weeks, you're going to save time
37:11because you've already created some of the meals and you're going to save money
37:15because each week it's going to get less and less that you're spending on your weekly shop.
37:20That's great.
37:22Instant noodles and pizzas have been replaced with nutritionally balanced lunches and dinners
37:27like my sun-dried orgel pasta salad.
37:30And breakfast like my blueberry overnight oats are packed with protein and fibre to keep those snack cravings at bay.
37:38Kids need it. I need it. It's a great idea.
37:40With Emma's hunter's chicken and Matt's Thai tray bake already batched and in the freezer,
37:46the family are off to a great start.
37:48Would you say you're more confident after seeing the kids eating a variety of foods?
37:53Yeah, definitely. A lot of things they've tried. I wouldn't expect them to try.
37:57Definitely seeing them eat more fruit and veg. Definitely happy with that.
38:00Yeah, I think things like this will change your mindset over what you think that they'll only eat.
38:06Actually, they will try lots if you give it to them.
38:08I'm excited.
38:09Yeah, it's great. Can't wait to get started on it.
38:13I think with our help, this family could transform their eating habits and start a whole new journey on how
38:18they eat.
38:19All right. Take care. Good luck.
38:22Yeah, we're feeling more confident, aren't we?
38:24I couldn't feel any less confident. I definitely feel more confident than I did before.
38:28I've got a new sense of, yeah, I can do this.
38:31I feel like the family have come and lead some bands.
38:34The only worry I have is the hectic schedule. It's just fitting it into the diary.
38:38But if they can manage that, I feel like they'll be good as gold.
38:53When the Strudwick family called us for help, their dinner times were a disaster and our cameras uncovered some shocking
39:00statistics.
39:02You're only getting a balanced diet around 20% of the time and around 65% of your meals are
39:09ultra processed.
39:10That's shocking.
39:11Their busy lives meant bad choices and stuck in a rut of convenience meals and endless sugar-filled snacks.
39:17This family's routine was in need of a complete overhaul.
39:22To get them back on track, we left them with a 28-day batch cooking meal plan.
39:27We're going to save time and each week it's going to get less and less that you're spending on your
39:32weekly shop.
39:33That's great.
39:34Which if they stick to, could save them.
39:37Wow.
39:38Big time.
39:39That is incredible.
39:43Right, we need onion.
39:46Peppers, red and green.
39:48It's been just a week since we left the Strudwick's and already they're making great progress.
39:53All lamb stuffed, pitas.
39:56Making time between chefs to plan their meals together for the week ahead.
39:59Try some overnight oats, couldn't we? Because you can have that at work.
40:03And getting creative with the recipes.
40:05You could change it, couldn't you? Blueberries or raspberries maybe.
40:08Or blueberries and raspberries.
40:09I like your thinking, Emma.
40:15Emma and Matt would sometimes hit the shop 22 times in a single week,
40:19racking up a bill of almost £400.
40:22We're on with the shopping list.
40:24So we're ready for the weekly shop.
40:26Bring it on.
40:27But we taught them that by shopping smart, they could save not only time but money too.
40:34Right, so we need fruit.
40:37On the menu for this week are my delicious overnight oats.
40:41Blueberries.
40:42And raspberries.
40:44For this one you could also use frozen berries, which are often around a third cheaper than fresh.
40:50Right, we've got corn for the veggie stir fry.
40:53Packed full of veggies, my stir fry is not only delicious but nutritious too.
40:59Oh look, put them back and we'll have these.
41:01Because you get double the amount, look.
41:03We can batch it then, can't we, and make extra.
41:05Looks like they're really taking our advice on board, Suzanne.
41:09We definitely do not need noodles.
41:11Well we do need noodles, but we need the stir fry noodles.
41:15Emma's got the right idea.
41:17Ooh, bakery.
41:19We're not going to the bakery.
41:20That's not on the list.
41:22But Matt might need a little more help.
41:24No more snacks though now because we've got enough.
41:29Spread it out Matthew, spread it out.
41:32It's much more peaceful when I did this on my own.
41:36The family's average weekly food bill was a whopping £374.76.
41:43£79.40.
41:45Wow, okay.
41:46It's better than £340 something or whatever we spent last time.
41:49I could think of a lot better things to spend that on.
41:52Thanks very much, bye.
41:52Thanks a lot, cheers.
41:55And with savings like that, surely this is a plan worth sticking to.
42:02Right, what are we making?
42:03Sweet and sour veggie stir fry.
42:05Do you do any help?
42:07No, I think I can manage this.
42:09I don't think it's been as hard to adjust to as I thought it might be.
42:15When you properly shop, know what you're going for for the week and have the right ingredients.
42:20I find the recipes, they are very easy to follow.
42:23Pop it in the flow.
42:25Oh, that's good.
42:26I feel like I can contribute a lot more than I was.
42:31It does smell nice.
42:32It might take the reins in the kitchen.
42:34It definitely is a bit of my pain not having to stand there to cook four different meals at a
42:38time.
42:39There you go, Thomas.
42:41I love eating together because instead of just being on our iPads, we can talk as a family instead.
42:48This is nice.
42:49I like it.
42:51Those regular trips to the snack drawer seem to be a thing of the past.
42:54They only have one treat a day whereas before, I think it was uncountable how many treats they were having
42:59and me.
43:00And it looks like they've been hard at work since our last visit.
43:05I think to Emma, do not put too much in the freezer.
43:08You should have had half of that finish up.
43:11Maybe we need to do the fridge freezer.
43:15That's it for now. All done.
43:17I think you might be right, Emma, because over the last few weeks batching has taken over.
43:23Let's show you how easy it is for the last few weeks.
43:28Re-packed and ready to go.
43:30No longer a kitchen novice, Matt is cooking up a storm.
43:35What are you making?
43:37Carrots.
43:39The chicken cuts with carrots.
43:41And the kids are getting stuck in as well.
43:44Dinner tonight by the kids.
43:46We can sit down and put a feet up if you're doing dinner.
43:49Come on.
43:53It's great to see the Strudwick family throwing themselves in fully to the batch way of life.
44:01And I want to show them just what a difference it could make to their lives if they carry on.
44:06Hey, hello guys.
44:08How are you?
44:09Good, thank you. Come on in.
44:13Right, shall we have a little look?
44:15Yeah, let's go for it.
44:19The big reveal, wow.
44:20Wow.
44:21Right.
44:22So, straight away, your yearly saving is going to be £12,776 a year.
44:30I mean, that's a huge amount of money.
44:32To have that in your pocket, that would be amazing.
44:35I think you've already got plans for that money.
44:36Yeah.
44:39Now, time-wise, this is incredible.
44:42Throughout the year, you're going to save yourselves through batch cooking and not going to the supermarket every time and
44:48having things already prepared.
44:50You're going to save 522 hours.
44:53That's almost 22 days a year you'll be saving.
44:57I mean, three weeks, you know, it's just ridiculous.
44:59Three weeks in a shop cooking.
45:02It's crazy.
45:03The more time, like, that's given us, it's just great.
45:05We can do loads more as a family.
45:08Now, if you stay on this journey, you'll be eating 70% less of ultra-processed food.
45:13That is incredible.
45:14I mean, if anything, that is your incentive right there.
45:17Yeah, definitely.
45:18Yeah, 100%, yeah.
45:19Yeah, for us, for the kids.
45:21Yeah, they're massive numbers.
45:22I feel like this is exactly what you needed to move forward.
45:25Don't let your guard down, because next time I'm up this way, I'll pop in and make sure.
45:31After this, getting in the kitchen, I'm quite excited about what it could bring, what I could learn.
45:37And then batching it and having it ready, it's going to save so much time.
45:41Definitely excited about sitting down, waiting for my dinner to arrive, from Matthew cooking it.
45:47I'll just get it out of the freezer.
46:00A nervous Pomeranian needs a very special place to feel at home in.
46:04The Dog House, tomorrow night at 8.
46:07Well, tonight at 10, a split-second choice has unexpected consequences.
46:12The Hunt Prey vs. Predator continues.
46:14Or stream all episodes now on Channel 4, 24 hours in A&E next.
46:21The Hunt Prey vs. Predator continues.
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