Entertainment
10 Healthy and Realistic Snack and Soda Swaps to Make ASAP — All on Amazon on September 14, 2023 at 6:36 pm Us Weekly

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Confession time: We’re snackers. Big snackers. Does a day even count if it isn’t filled with salty, crunchy chips and sweet cookies and candies? How can we deny ourselves our favorite bubbly sodas? We simply won’t do it!
What we can do, however, is make some lower-calorie, better-for-you, protein-packed swaps. And no, we’re not going to tell you to switch to organic fruit or plain water. You already know about those. We’re here to offer some realistic options that can actually sate your cravings!
Best Swap for Cheesy Puffs: Better Than Good Baked Cheddar Protein Puffs
Amazon
Top Highlights:
Keto-friendly, gluten-free
15G protein
Two servings of fruits and vegetables
With over 4,000 reviews, these cheesy puff snacks are capturing snackers’ hearts everywhere. These natural, veggie-infused snacks have a satisfying crunch and a savory baked cheddar flavor!
Best Swap for Hot and Spicy Chips: Love Corn Hot & Spicy Crunchy Corn
Amazon
Top Highlights:
Vegan, kosher, gluten-free
Popular for the Mediterranean and South American diet
Minimal ingredient list
If you love the tingle of hot chips on your tongue but want a healthier option, consider Love Corn. These habanero crunchy corn snacks are shockingly addictive, and we love that the ingredients list is short enough for Us to list here: corn, sunflower oil, habanero chili and sea salt!
Best Swap for Soda: Poppi Sparkling Prebiotic Soda
Amazon
Top Highlights:
25 calories and 5g sugar per can
“No fake stuff”
Contains natural prebiotics for gut health
Who knew a can of soda could feel so healthy? Poppi has become a serious sensation thanks to its variety of flavors, some of which closely replicate your favorite name brands, while others explore a fruity, creative twist. These prebiotic sodas feel heaven-sent for the bubbly pop lover who struggles to stay satisfied with seltzer!
Best Swap for Buttered Popcorn: LesserEvil Himalayan Gold Salt Organic Popcorn
Amazon
Top Highlights:
Air-popped
No inflammatory oils
Vegan, kosher, gluten-free
No movie night is complete without popcorn, but eating regular buttered popcorn is undeniably not the best choice for your health. This LesserEvil version uses a blend of organic coconut oil and plant-based butter flavor, plus Himalayan pink salt for a delicious snack that won’t leave you feeling guilty!
Best Swap for Stroopwafels: Rip Van Wafels Dutch Caramel & Vanilla
Amazon
Top Highlights:
A Hailey Bieber favorite!
Individually packaged
No artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, trans fat, soy or high fructose corn syrup
While one of the leading brands that makes stroopwafels features 11 grams of sugar and 0 fiber per serving, these Rip Van Wafels have 3 grams of sugar and 6 grams of fiber. Big shoutout to Bieber for the recommendation! Anyone with a sweet tooth will love this pick!
Best Swap for Tortilla Chips: Sieta Grain-Free Tortilla Chips
Amazon
Top Highlights:
Vegan, gluten-free, paleo-friendly
Made with 100% avocado oil
Grain-free, soy-free
Whether you like to snack on chips and salsa or want to prepare some awesome nachos for Monday Night Football, these salty chips are the way to go. They come in a bunch of different awesome flavors too, in case you want to try a guacamole or jalapeño lime version!
Best Swap for Teddy Bear Snacks: Kodiak Cakes Bear Bites
Amazon
Top Highlights:
5g protein per serving
Made with 100% whole grains
Three flavors
These yummy graham cracker bear snacks may be fierce, but they’re so, so lovable. This variety pack comes with honey, cinnamon and chocolate variations, each of which will help fill you up and keep you happily crunching whenever, wherever!
Best Swap for Sandwich Cookies: Simple Mills Cocoa Cashew Crème Sandwich Cookies
Amazon
Top Highlights:
Made with nut flour and nut butter
No artificial ingredients
Gluten-free, grain-free, vegan
We’ve all been there — we’re snacking along, and suddenly we realize we’ve eaten an entire sleeve of sandwich cookies (or more). They’re one of life’s simple pleasures, however, so instead of cutting them out, try out this nut butter, coconut sugar alternative!
Best Swap for Brownies: Nature’s Bakery Double Chocolate Brownie Bars
Amazon
Top Highlights:
Vegan, kosher, nut-free
Made with real cocoa and dates
No cholesterol, 0g trans fat
We’ll never give up brownies, but we are definitely willing to give up the super unhealthy ones in favor of these Nature’s Bakery brownies! This is the perfect type of midday pick-me-up to keep in your bag for whenever you deserve a little treat!
Best Swap for Frozen Treats: DeeBee’s Organics Non-Dairy Gelato Pops
Amazon
Top Highlights:
Organic, plant-based, gluten-free
No refined sugars
No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
When you’re craving some ice cream, gelato or a sugary ice pop, turn to these gelato pops instead. They have a satisfying, creamy texture and are sweetened solely with organic fruit juice concentrate. Each one is 35 calories or less!
Looking for something else? Explore more grocery and gourmet food at Amazon here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
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Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Confession time: We’re snackers. Big snackers. Does a day even count if it isn’t filled with salty, crunchy chips and sweet cookies and candies? How can we deny ourselves our favorite bubbly sodas? We simply won’t do it!
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Entertainment
What We Can Learn Inside 50 Cent’s Explosive Diddy Documentary: 5 Reasons You Should Watch

50 Cent’s new Netflix docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs is more than a headline-grabbing exposé; it is a meticulous breakdown of how power, celebrity, and silence can collide in the entertainment industry.
Across its episodes, the series traces Diddy’s rise, the allegations that followed him for years, and the shocking footage and testimonies now forcing a wider cultural reckoning.

1. It Chronicles Diddy’s Rise and Fall – And How Power Warps Reality
The docuseries follows Combs from hitmaker and business icon to a figure facing serious criminal conviction and public disgrace, mapping out decades of influence, branding, and behind-the-scenes behavior. Watching that arc shows how money, fame, and industry relationships can shield someone from scrutiny and delay accountability, even as disturbing accusations accumulate.

2. Never-Before-Seen Footage Shows How Narratives Are Managed
Exclusive footage of Diddy in private settings and in the tense days around his legal troubles reveals how carefully celebrity narratives are shaped, even in crisis.
Viewers can learn to question polished statements and recognize that what looks spontaneous in public is often the result of strategy, damage control, and legal calculation.
3. Survivors’ Stories Highlight Patterns of Abuse and Silence
Interviews with alleged victims, former staff, and industry insiders describe patterns of control, fear, and emotional or physical harm that were long whispered about but rarely aired in this detail. Their stories underline how difficult it is to speak out against a powerful figure, teaching viewers why many survivors delay disclosure and why consistent patterns across multiple accounts matter.
4. 50 Cent’s Approach Shows Storytelling as a Tool for Accountability
As executive producer, 50 Cent uses his reputation and platform to push a project that leans into uncomfortable truths rather than protecting industry relationships. The series demonstrates how documentary storytelling can challenge established power structures, elevate marginalized voices, and pressure institutions to respond when traditional systems have failed.
5. The Cultural Backlash Reveals How Society Handles Celebrity Accountability
Reactions to the doc—ranging from people calling it necessary and brave to others dismissing it as a vendetta or smear campaign—expose how emotionally invested audiences can be in defending or condemning a famous figure. Watching that debate unfold helps viewers see how fandom, nostalgia, and bias influence who is believed, and why conversations about “cancel culture” often mask deeper questions about justice and who is considered too powerful to fall.
Entertainment
South Park’s Christmas Episode Delivers the Antichrist

A new Christmas-themed episode of South Park is scheduled to air with a central plot in which Satan is depicted as preparing for the birth of an Antichrist figure. The premise extends a season-long narrative arc that has involved Satan, Donald Trump, and apocalyptic rhetoric, positioning this holiday episode as a culmination of those storylines rather than a stand‑alone concept.
Episode premise and season context
According to published synopses and entertainment coverage, the episode frames the Antichrist as part of a fictional storyline that blends religious symbolism with commentary on politics, media, and cultural fear. This follows earlier Season 28 episodes that introduced ideas about Trump fathering an Antichrist child and tech billionaire Peter Thiel obsessing over prophecy and end‑times narratives. The Christmas setting is presented as a contrast to the darker themes, reflecting the series’ pattern of pairing holiday imagery with controversial subject matter.
Public and political reactions
Coverage notes that some figures connected to Donald Trump’s political orbit have criticized the season’s portrayal of Trump and his allies, describing the show as relying on shock tactics rather than substantive critique. Commentators highlight that these objections are directed more at the depiction of real political figures and the show’s tone than at the specific theology of the Antichrist storyline.
At the time of reporting, there have not been widely reported, detailed statements from major religious leaders focused solely on this Christmas episode, though religion-focused criticism of South Park in general has a long history.
Media and cultural commentary
Entertainment outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Slate, and USA Today describe the Antichrist arc as part of South Park’s ongoing use of Trump-era and tech-world politics as material for satire.
Viewer guidance and content advisory
South Park is rated TV‑MA and is intended for adult audiences due to strong language, explicit themes, and frequent use of religious and political satire. Viewers who are sensitive to depictions of Satan, the Antichrist, or parodies involving real political figures may find this episode particularly objectionable, while others may view it as consistent with the show’s long‑running approach to controversial topics. As with previous episodes, individual responses are likely to vary widely, and the episode is best understood as part of an ongoing satirical series rather than a factual or theological statement.
Entertainment
Sydney Sweeney Finally Confronts the Plastic Surgery Rumors

Sydney Sweeney has decided she is finished watching strangers on the internet treat her face like a forensic project. After years of side‑by‑side screenshots, “then vs now” TikToks, and long comment threads wondering what work she has supposedly had done, the actor is now addressing the plastic surgery rumors directly—and using them to say something larger about how women are looked at in Hollywood and online.

Growing Up on Camera vs. “Before and After” Culture
Sweeney points out that people are often mistaking normal changes for procedures: she grew up on camera, her roles now come with big‑budget glam teams, and her body has shifted as she has trained, aged, and worked nonstop. Yet every new red‑carpet photo gets folded into a narrative that assumes surgeons, not time, are responsible. Rather than walking through a checklist of what is “real,” she emphasizes how bizarre it is that internet detectives comb through pores, noses, and jawlines as if they are owed an explanation for every contour of a woman’s face.
The Real Problem Isn’t Her Face
By speaking up, Sweeney is redirecting the conversation away from her features and toward the culture that obsesses over them.
She argues that the real issue isn’t whether an actress has had work done, but why audiences feel so entitled to dissect her body as public property in the first place.
For her, the constant speculation is less about curiosity and more about control—another way to tell women what they should look like and punish them when they do not fit. In calling out that dynamic, Sweeney isn’t just defending herself; she is forcing fans and followers to ask why tearing apart someone else’s appearance has become such a popular form of entertainment.
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