Supplements Vs Food

Time and time again I hear or read about guys stocking up on 'supps', tweeting every time they down a shake, and never hear/read what meals they have? Too many people seem to rely purely on supplements and neglect real food.
Supplements are used as a 'top up' to your diet, not to actually replace all of your meals. The common supps that people buy tend to be in powder form, and its not good to keep chucking powdered drinks down your throat. The good protein shakes out there can have about 24g protein in them, which is very good, but some of them don't contain much more than just protein, whereas with food you get a variety of nutrients. Supplement companies have become aware of this, and there are some supplements that have got extra 'goodness' packed into them, but its still not as good as food.
Things like protein shakes are great for 'on the go' people, who need a 'top up' but haven't got access to a kitchen to cook up a healthy snack. They are also very convenient. When you have just finished a workout, your body is craving some carbs, protein and other nutrients, and its so easy to down a protein shake and eat a banana, than it is to sit and eat a meal, especially if your in a rush. So shakes have their place, but they are NOT meal replacements.
When someone is training to become a lot bigger and stronger, they naturally need more nutrients, and sometimes you can't get enough from food (as eating enough food can become expensive, and even hard work!)  so you need to take supplements to make sure your getting enough. Its similar to someone who has an illness and is on very strong drugs - they often get told that the drugs can 'sap' nutrients that you consume, so that person needs to eat more to get enough.
Lastly, its also about satisfaction. You can buy your favorite flavor of protein, but I bet its no way near as good as eating your favorite meal.So make sure you get your nutrition right before buying supplements. If you are eating crap, there is no point in taking supps. Good training + good nutrition + good addition of supplements = great results!