"Eat Well For Less?" - thoughts?

Pollycat

I don't think it's so much that posters have missed the point but more that we can see where the programme could have been done better.

I'm talking not so much about the message they were trying to give about brands (which the Booths did grasp) but that the message could easily have gone further and given the family a much better understanding of food shopping/budgeting.

What was the point of the filler stuff showing the 2 presenters getting in to a taxi?
Pure gratuitous mugging for the camera - but I would expect nothing less from Greg Wallace.

Pollycat

SailorSam wrote: »

Nothing wrong with that Polly, but just remember if i'm behind you at the checkout with my box of weetabix and bag of onions ............. It's nice to be nice.

I'd do you a deal, Sam.


You can go in front of me if you wait and help me carry my 300 cans to the car. :rotfl:

maman

Pollycat wrote: »

I don't think it's so much that posters have missed the point but more that we can see where the programme could have been done better.

I'm talking not so much about the message they were trying to give about brands (which the Booths did grasp) but that the message could easily have gone further and given the family a much better understanding of food shopping/budgeting.

What was the point of the filler stuff showing the 2 presenters getting in to a taxi?
Pure gratuitous mugging for the camera - but I would expect nothing less from Greg Wallace.

Sadly that's all about cheap television. On the commercial channels they have the adverts and then the infuriating recap straight after so that 45 mins (if you're lucky) programming lasts an hour. On BBC they have to find other fillers.


I agree that our comments are to point out where they missed an opportunity to educate the great British public. I suppose they can't cover everything but while they did emphasise that meal planning and shopping lists are an essential part of 'eating well for less', they didn't really help a great deal with that side of the programme. I never do my meal plan away from my freezer/storecupboards/fridge. IMO she should have been basing her meals on what she had in mainly to prevent waste in her fridge but also to use up her overflowing stores.

pavlovs_dog

Pollycat wrote: »

I don't think it's so much that posters have missed the point but more that we can see where the programme could have been done better.

Better for whom?

For a family who were grossly overspending, the concepts of downshifting, shopping from stores and meal planning would be a lot to take on and establish as routine. For these changes to be sustainable, they need to be repeated until they become habit. You then introduce the next step (which I assume for most people would be home made in favour of processed). This requires a degree of cooking knowledge and skill, or at the very least a willingness to learn. Now the dad, who was presented as a 'foodie', apparently needed a lesson in how to chop an onion. He was clueless how to use sun dried tomatoes. He also apparently needed to be guided towards the knowledge that mince could in fact become meatballs. We'll never know how much of this was fact and how much was all for television, but people who lack these skills cannot go from gross overspending to domestic goddesses overnight.

I share your disappointment about the filler segments which could have been better used. It is a missed opportunity that the second episode looks like it will continue in a similar vein to the first instead of exploring other avenues of reducing food spends. Portion control for example is something that the Booth family have been criticised for in this thread. The family meals shown have also been criticised for not being particularly healthy; substitutions which can save money as well as improving the nutritional value of a meal is another avenue that could be explored. Like the brandshift challenge, these are easy to implement and would benefit a significant percentage of us.

That said, I do accept the programme for what it is - edutainment. If it encourages a discourse about food and shopping habits - especially amongst those at whom the programme is aimed - then that's no bad thing in my book.

flea72

newroadahead wrote: »

I will watch another episode just to see if they have anymore ideas, the trailer for next week seemed to show them buying "branded" pizzas, I don't eat cheese or pizza so will be interested to see what else will be in the trolley!!!

NRA

Ive already watched next weeks (virgin media uploaded next weeks, instead of this weeks)

The programme is a complete duplicate of this weeks, the only difference is the family are food snobs, so only buy expensive brands and think value brands are inferior quality. Again, the family, espec the children arent fussy and do want to change their shopping habits

Instead of the OJ reveal, they do one on sugar in pasta sauces (real eyeopener) and the difference between cheap and expensive yogurt

Can see this series getting boring very quickly, as it follows the same format every week

Pollycat

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

Better for whom?

For a family who were grossly overspending, the concepts of downshifting, shopping from stores and meal planning would be a lot to take on and establish as routine. For these changes to be sustainable, they need to be repeated until they become habit. You then introduce the next step (which I assume for most people would be home made in favour of processed). This requires a degree of cooking knowledge and skill, or at the very least a willingness to learn. Now the dad, who was presented as a 'foodie', apparently needed a lesson in how to chop an onion. He was clueless how to use sun dried tomatoes. He also apparently needed to be guided towards the knowledge that mince could in fact become meatballs. We'll never know how much of this was fact and how much was all for television, but people who lack these skills cannot go from gross overspending to domestic goddesses overnight.

In my naivete , I thought it would be better for all the people who watched who might have wanted tips - not just on dropping a brand or two but on other ways to save money, not just the family featured.

They obviously didn't just spend an hour with the family so I do think more valuable content could have been included in the hour that we saw.

pavlovs_dog

Pollycat wrote: »

In my naivete , I thought it would be better for all the people who watched who might have wanted tips - not just on dropping a brand or two but on other ways to save money, not just the family featured.

They obviously didn't just spend an hour with the family so I do think more valuable content could have been included in the hour that we saw.

I understand your sentiment. But based on your posts on this thread I struggle to see what tips they could offer someone of your expertise that would be easily applicable to the average joe. Based on your comments on this thread you already

* have an idea of portion control
* understand there can be a difference between weight vs quantity
* understand that making your often can have many benefits over processed foods
* are confident enough in these skills that you share you knowledge with others
* meal plan around using up all of what you have bought
* understand the difference and benefits of quality vs quantity
* bulk buy staples and rotate these stocks
* understand how to use your freeze to save money.

These concepts are sadly alien to the target audience of this programme. The programme could indeed be improved by better teaching skills such as these. I'm afraid to say I cannot think of advice I could give you to help you save further money on your food spends, let alone think of something that wouldn't see families like the Booths throwing in the towel because saving money on food is 'too difficult'.

Pollycat

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

I understand your sentiment. But based on your posts on this thread I struggle to see what tips they could offer someone of your expertise that would be easily applicable to the average joe. Based on your comments on this thread you already

* have an idea of portion control
* understand there can be a difference between weight vs quantity
* understand that making your often can have many benefits over processed foods
* are confident enough in these skills that you share you knowledge with others
* meal plan around using up all of what you have bought
* understand the difference and benefits of quality vs quantity
* bulk buy staples and rotate these stocks
* understand how to use your freeze to save money.

These concepts are sadly alien to the target audience of this programme. The programme could indeed be improved by better teaching skills such as these. I'm afraid to say I cannot think of advice I could give you to help you save further money on your food spends, let alone think of something that wouldn't see families like the Booths throwing in the towel because saving money on food is 'too difficult'.

Sorry, I think I may have confused you.

I didn't meant tips for me but for people who may not be as aware as I am and lots of other posters on here are.

Basically, I didn't really expect to get much out of the programme to help me - we were only watching it as we ate dinner - but my point was that, with a better structure, it could have been so much more helpful to others.

But if it's only 'cheap telly', I may as well watch a rerun of Jez Kyle or Judge Rinder next time we're eating.


ETA - thank you for the compliment on my cooking, shopping & budgeting skills.

catkins

I was thinking about this programme in the night when I couldn't sleep! I can't really see how they were spending so much money on food. Yes they were buying the same things over and over again but things like baked beans, sausages, burgers - not exactly expensive items are they?


They ate very ordinary meals as far as we could see so how on earth were they spending £13,000 a year on food?


They wanted to be able to save £40 a week so that they could build an extension. Well that would be very easy. If they are spending around £250 a week they could, with some thought, planning and sense, easily cut that down by at least £100. Even £150 a week for a family of 4 seems excessive

maman

flea72 wrote: »

Ive already watched next weeks (virgin media uploaded next weeks, instead of this weeks)

The programme is a complete duplicate of this weeks, the only difference is the family are food snobs, so only buy expensive brands and think value brands are inferior quality. Again, the family, espec the children arent fussy and do want to change their shopping habits

Instead of the OJ reveal, they do one on sugar in pasta sauces (real eyeopener) and the difference between cheap and expensive yogurt

Can see this series getting boring very quickly, as it follows the same format every week

So perhaps we can tell them in advance that it's healthier and cheaper to make your own pasta sauce!:rotfl:


I've mostly given up on orange juice as it's loaded with sugar. It may be 'natural' sugar but it's still sugar so I just have a glass of squash instead. Fortunately, neither of the Booth children looked overweight but you couldn't say that for the parents.


I still maintain that they should have started from the basics of checking what you have in then meal planning and a shopping list. They paid very scant attention to what IMO is a fundamental of money saving. I've got little patience for people who insist on the freedom of just popping into a shop midweek and spending more money on fancying something or buying something easy. Do they want an extension or not?