Eat Well for Less...Live on MSE

catkins

Just watched last night's programme. Just where do they find these families?

Mum buys those awful packs of sauces because "she is short of time"! She works 3 days a week and, as a teaching assistant, that will not even be full days.

Another family that doesn't know how much they spend. Obviously more money than sense. Proven by buying a pineapple every week but never eating it! Also why do mums or dads start cooking different meals for their fussy children? I don't have children so easy to say I wouldn't but my sister never did, nor did my brother and his wife and we certainly didn't have different meals when we were growing up.

I am amazed they weren't all the size of elephants with all the sweets and rubbish they eat.

janb5

catkins wrote: »

Just watched last night's programme. Just where do they find these families?

Mum buys those awful packs of sauces because "she is short of time"! She works 3 days a week and, as a teaching assistant, that will not even be full days.

Another family that doesn't know how much they spend. Obviously more money than sense. Proven by buying a pineapple every week but never eating it! Also why do mums or dads start cooking different meals for their fussy children? I don't have children so easy to say I wouldn't but my sister never did, nor did my brother and his wife and we certainly didn't have different meals when we were growing up.

I am amazed they weren't all the size of elephants with all the sweets and rubbish they eat.

I think you forget just how disabled these boys are. Although I am not Greg Wallace`s biggest fan, the fact that the programme managed to concentrate on their needs as a family made the viewer almost forget the boys were wheelchair users.

With SMA Type 2( Spinal Muscular Atrophy) they often have digestive difficulties which makes certain foods difficult.

I too had different foods when I was growing up but life is different now and I cannot judge from my experience. All I know is that SMA is really a terrible condition and I am very impressed that the team managed to find some solutions that the boys could enjoy.

As I said earlier my grandson has SMA 2 and our lives have changed enormously. He is now 8 and attends mainstream school.

It is very stereotypical to say ` where do they find these families` and a little unkind. The point is that the families are quite brave to come forward and be open to the idea of changing their food tastes.

I for one am impressed....

VfM4meplse

janb5 wrote: »

I think you forget just how disabled these boys are. Although I am not Greg Wallace`s biggest fan, the fact that the programme managed to concentrate on their needs as a family made the viewer almost forget the boys were wheelchair users.

With SMA Type 2( Spinal Muscular Atrophy) they often have digestive difficulties which makes certain foods difficult.

I too had different foods when I was growing up but life is different now and I cannot judge from my experience. All I know is that SMA is really a terrible condition and I am very impressed that the team managed to find some solutions that the boys could enjoy.

As I said earlier my grandson has SMA 2 and our lives have changed enormously. He is now 8 and attends mainstream school.

It is very stereotypical to say ` where do they find these families` and a little unkind. The point is that the families are quite brave to come forward and be open to the idea of changing their food tastes.

I for one am impressed....

catkins was referring to this week’s family, not the previous episode’s. Watch it to believe, this family really came under the category of rich but clueless (although personally I think the mother was actually quite bright but playing to the camera). I missed the start to see how much they were spending every year, but in accepting the new food choices they could have saved £4K pa. That’s even before they ditched the impulse confectionary being bought.

I put my hat in the ring for another saving money programme (Dom and Denise) but was rejected as my “savings” just wouldn’t have made good TV.

MallyGirl

I didn't see it all but I think their food spend was £13,000 a year for the 4 of them :eek:

Gigervamp

I haven't seen any of this series, but I read a thread on another forum about an episode (this weeks?) where the dad and children rated the food mum served up from 1-10, and also that she was having to cook up to 4 different meals due to likes and dislikes.

The discussion centred more around the fact that the man seemed to be controlling, and that anybody rating the food like that, after they'd taken the time to cook it, would be given short shrift. (Actually, that's putting it politely! The forum allows swearing!)

VfM4meplse

Gigervamp wrote: »

The discussion centred more around the fact that the man seemed to be controlling, and that anybody rating the food like that, after they'd taken the time to cook it, would be given short shrift.

I'm not sure you could call him controlling, just clueless and ungrateful. He worked long hours and clearly called the shots around the house by virtue of his financial contribution. If I was his wife, I'd seek refuge in a spot of unfettered retail therapy followed by a sh*tload of chocolate too. I'd probably polish of a bottle of wine every evening on top of that.

p00

Of course everyone is surprised when they turn up in the supermarket. Not expected at all :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I do find it watchable but it is obviously manufactured to a degree. All these people that cant cook, dont know how much they spend or how many times they go shopping.

I wonder who are the ones that get turned down for the programme.....

p00

Need2bthrifty

Gigervamp wrote: »

The discussion centred more around the fact that the man seemed to be controlling, and that anybody rating the food like that, after they'd taken the time to cook it, would be given short shrift. (Actually, that's putting it politely! The forum allows swearing!)

Patronising and condescending are the words that spring too mind. Not much wonder she had lost confidence in her ability to cook when your husband is such a git as to mark her out of 10 for her efforts and encouraged the girls to do the same.

The eldest daughter seemed to be the only one on the mothers side and the youngest one needed to get over herself - I suggest the youngest daughter and the dad take responsibility for shopping and cooking for a couple of weeks, teach them a lesson :rotfl: :rotfl:

jackieblack

My main gripe with the programme is that the swapped items appear to come from a variety of supermarkets so, if the family 'keeps' them, this would necessitate visiting every supermarket every week! That's hardly practical, or moneysaving.
I know they could try an equivalent item from their preferred supermarket, but this may well not taste the same and the family may well then end up going back to their previous brand. And not everyone has a choice of different supermarkets close enough to be convenient.

Islandmaid

I thought the episode with the twins was great, the production company focussed on them being a normal loving family who happened to have disabilities, not on the disability itself, and the boys had a wicked sense of humour, I bet they play their mum up. They have dietary restrictions due to their disabilities, they pointed out that things like sausage skins were an issue, but other than that the format was no different than any other episode. I hope I’ve worded that right.

This weeks episode in my view, was training the rest of the family to see Mum as Mum, not a maid, funny how hubbies ears only pricked up when the amount they spent on food was revealed - not so fussy now are you mate