At Ventura High School, new food crazes seem to pop up and infatuate students regularly. From acai bowls, to using things to hold coffee that aren’t coffee cups, VHS students are always finding new things to eat and new ways to eat them. One example of this trend that has been sweeping campus is the beverage, La Croix.

La Croix is a canned carbonated water that comes in many flavors such as orange, berry, pamplemousse and more.

The name La Croix translates to “The Cross” in French and is pronounced “la-kwah,” however the brand states that their name is pronounced “la-croy” to rhyme with “enjoy.” The pronunciation of the beverage name is often debated amongst both regular drinkers of La Croix, as well as first time drinkers.

Most students tend to keep their consumption of the beverage occasional and subtle, like senior Terra Bransfield: “La Croix can be refreshing on a hot day, but they are gross when they are hot.”

Then there are the students that are die hard La Croix fans, “I have a friend who loves La Croix so much they got ‘LC’ tattooed to represent it,” Bransfield added.

On the other hand, there are some students who don’t see the appeal in the beverage, like senior Natali Vazquez who despises La Croix: “La Croix has no flavor whatsoever. I’ve tried a variety of them and they all taste disgusting. I’m sorry to anyone I might offend, like my dance coach [Samantha] Hazan, who drinks it quite often. I just don’t see the point in drinking fizzy liquid out of a can when I can have a refreshing sprite.”

On the other hand, some students do not drink it for the taste, but as an alternative to soda. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, a 20 ounce bottle of soda averages at 250 calories and regular consumption of soda can result in detrimental health problems.

In America, frequent soda drinking is common among citizens, as sugary products are highly addictive. La Croix is often used as a substitute to soda, since it has a similar taste and contains zero calories.

Although calories aren’t the only way to measure the health benefits of a food item or beverage, many insist that low calorie alternatives like La Croix are always better for them.