[MelissaJayne]

The fork can..FORK OFF! Spoons are just essential, you can't fork or knife up a soup or a broth or porridge or anything like that. Also, you need a knife to cut things that the teeth can't quite manage, plus, to portion things. And food preparation? Knifes are essential! Forks are good for like, picking stuff up, put you could, if need be, stab it with the knife and pick it up that way.

[dani_1991]

It's a toughie, each has their merits but alas I shall conform, fork to go! I can use a spoon in its place. Though fondu just got a whole lot harder

[ihaveyourcat]

Down with the fork! You can always use a knife to spear things which is effectively the same thing

[TotoMimo]

VERDICT: TSR States the merits of each implement and deems the fork the least useful. As a scoop, it can be replaced by the spoon; as a spear, replaced by the knife.

[TotoMimo]

Friday 6th July

Today's Debate: Scientific study has shown that with diet drinks such as diet coke, where the sugar has been removed and replaced with artificial sweeteners, the brain is "tricked" into expecting sugar energy. When it is deprived of that, it sends chemical cravings to you in order to satisfy the sugar it did not receive. By this logic, diet sodas effectively make you hungrier/crave quick -release energy.

Knowing this information, would you advise dieters to instead adopt the more calorific, regular sodas, or not?

[dani_1991]

No! Just be prepared for a sugar craving I guess though I personally don't get sugar cravings after Pepsi max so I dunno how thorough that research is!

[skunky x]

I think a zero tolerance policy is in order. Avoid 'soda' as much as possible. One makes you fat, the other makes you want fattening things. Water and occasional juice!

[twelvepenguinbugs]

Throughout my life diet fizzy drinks have been my saviour when dieting! All these scientific theories are so confusing to me as they tend to fill me up and replace my sugar craving rather than increase it. Same goes for other members of my family. I don't drink them as much now as they make me feel bloated easily but they're indispensable to cut down calories on a night out or when in a restaurant and you don't want just water.

I would never recommend anybody drink regular coke etc, it's such a waste of time I'd rather eat food for those calories!

[MelissaJayne]

I think a lot of hunger/cravings are in the brain, so if you think you're satisfying it by having that diet fizzy kick, it may work. It does for me anyway. Plus, I just think, why waste calories on a drink you can have calorie free and often nicer? (PEPSI MAX > Pepsi)

[Jake22]

(Original post by twelvepenguinbugs)
Throughout my life diet fizzy drinks have been my saviour when dieting! All these scientific theories are so confusing to me as they tend to fill me up and replace my sugar craving rather than increase it. Same goes for other members of my family. I don't drink them as much now as they make me feel bloated easily but they're indispensable to cut down calories on a night out or when in a restaurant and you don't want just water.

I would never recommend anybody drink regular coke etc, it's such a waste of time I'd rather eat food for those calories!

I think people overdo it on how ban a tin of juice is: A can of coke is less than 150 calories. That is the same as half a Mars bar and just (if not more) satiating. Aside from the micronutrient difference - a can of coke is like having two small bananas. To me, for a quick energy boost - it isn't such a big deal or that evil or a waste of calories or anything. Diet coke is just a refreshing drink - it doesn't give you the energy effect and tastes more chemically.

Coke isn't actually my favourite can of fizzy pop though - I'd rather a Fanta; or more exotically, a can of Barrs Pineapple.

[Liam_G]

Disappointed that I missed the cutlery debate HOW COULD YOU GUYS DO AWAY WITH FORKS?! I love forks. Spoons are from the devil. Every time I use one I can't help but think of the last person who used it, holding it in their mouth, sucking the food from it. I try to use forks for pretty much everything. I guess I'm a bit strange though.

Regarding the fizzy drinks thing, a lot of people who choose diet drinks not only end up craving sugary things afterwards, but are more inclined to eat them as a reward for choosing the supposed healthier drink earlier on in the day. I'd advise dieters to try to just give them up altogether, or substitute them with delicious carrot cake, but I'm no doctor.

I don't personally drink fizzy drinks, diet or otherwise. I just drink milk, water, and occasional juice. Oh, and tea... Lots of tea

[twelvepenguinbugs]

(Original post by Jake22)
To me, for a quick energy boost - it isn't such a big deal or that evil or a waste of calories or anything. Diet coke is just a refreshing drink - it doesn't give you the energy effect and tastes more chemically.

Coke isn't actually my favourite can of fizzy pop though - I'd rather a Fanta; or more exotically, a can of Barrs Pineapple.

Diet coke has caffeine in it so it does give you the 'energy effect' you speak of. I drank Pepsi max instead of energy drinks to keep me awake during deadlines at uni. So there is little to no point having real coke, all you're getting extra is the taste/sugar which is so bad for you, I'd rather eat a slice of toast with jam for those calories!

[Jake22]

(Original post by twelvepenguinbugs)
Diet coke has caffeine in it so it does give you the 'energy effect' you speak of. I drank Pepsi max instead of energy drinks to keep me awake during deadlines at uni. So there is little to no point having real coke, all you're getting extra is the taste/sugar which is so bad for you, I'd rather eat a slice of toast with jam for those calories!

It isn't just the energy though. The sugar is satiating in a way that diet coke isn't - diet coke is just like soda water whereas coke is thick and syrupy and sweet.

The other thing is - I would feel kind of embarrassed buying diet coke... as if I were buying manscara or guy-liner. Surely that is why they invent things like pepsi max and coke zero and man-sized tissues etc.

[TotoMimo]

VERDICT: TSR IS UNUSUALLY SPLIT REGARDING THE CHEMICAL EFFECTS OF DIET SODAS. SOME REGARD THEM AS INVALUABLE TOOLS FOR WEIGHT LOSS, FILLING UP STOMACH SPACE FOR NEGLIGIBLE CALORIES. SOME SEE THEM AS "AN EXCUSE" TO ALLOW TREATS; OFFSET BY THEIR VIRTUOUS DRINKS. OTHERS HAVE VALUED THEM AS A SUGAR KICK INSTEAD OF A TREAT, AN ENERGY SHOT WHEN ANOTHER CALORIFIC TREAT MAY SEEM UNSUITABLE. BUT THE MOST STATED GRNERALLY IS THAT ALL SODAS - DIET OR OTHERWISE - SHOULD BE LESSENED OR OMITTED ENTIRELY IN A DIETING SCENARIO. phew!

[TotoMimo]

SATURDAY 7TH JULY

TODAY'S DEBATE: SUPERMARKET OWN BRAND FOODS ARE VERY OFTEN SOURCED FROM THE SAME PLACE AS THEIR BIGGER BRAND COUNTERPARTS, MEANING THE ONLY DIFFERING FACTOR IS PACKAGING. IN WHICH INSTANCES DO YOU, KNOWING THIS, STILL OPT TO PURCHASE MORE EXPENSIVE BIG BRANDS, AND WHEN ARE THEY UTTERLY SUPERFLUOUS?

ta lads and lassies!

[dani_1991]

No! It's value brands all the way for me well, within reason. Some things are genuinely the same, take 40p bourbons for instance, or freeze dried noodles. Some are even better as they are less pretentious and fussed with (the noodles for instance), and Tescos own Cherryade is still the best ive tried!
But some things I will buy brands of, Pepsi Max being one example because in the words of McHammer... You can't touch this

[TotoMimo]

No more budget branded debate? As radiant as Dani is, she cannot debate alone!!

[skunky x]

I very rarely buy branded items. Coke and vodka are two exceptions after a bad experience with own brand versions.

I just don't see the point! Who says the brand's version is the 'right' way for it to taste any how?

[MelissaJayne]

Sometimes I am unfortunately swayed by higher end products, even when I know full well the quality is the same. This usually tends to be because of the packaging or something. I'm a sucker for "cute" or "pretty" packets. A bag of bananas? In a pack with little pieces of fruit in part of a gang with arms and legs doing some kind of dance? An extra 50p? Ooooh get in my trolley.

However, for the most part I'm savvy to it all. Cant afford to be picky in this day and age! Smart price carrots, smart price mushrooms. They're all the same, just a little misshapen. But I'm gonna be chopping them up anyway!

[TotoMimo]

VERDICT:
UNFORTUNATELY NOT ENOUGH RESPONSES FOR AN ACCURATE TSR CROSS SECTION, BUT ONE PREVAILING RESPONSE IS THAT BUDGET CAN OFTEN BE EQUAL TO, IF NOT BETTER, THAN BRANDED. AN INTERESTING POINT IS THAT WE MAY WRONGLY ASSUME BIG BRANDS TO BE THE DEFAULT TO WHICH WE JUDGE ALL OTHERS; WHY COCA COLA? WHY NOT FENTIMANS? BUT POLAR OPPOSITES EMERGED AS WE LEARNED PACKAGING IS EQUALLY IRRELEVANT AND A DEFINITIVE PURCHASING FACTOR FOR DIFFERENT CONSUMERS; SOME DISREGARD IT ENTIRELY WHERE SOME BASE THEIR ENTIRE IMPULSIVE BUY ON THE EXTERNAL PACKAGING.

Hopefully next debate is more popular...