It may be true that you can't beat the real thing, but you also won't be able to buy it at schools under a deal announced on Wednesday.

The makers of 87 percent of the soft drinks sold in public and private schools announced that they will sell only water, unsweetened juice and low-fat and non-fat milk in elementary and middle schools; high school students also will have the choice of diet sodas and sports drinks, according to The Associated Press.

The deal was arranged by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a cooperation of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, which has targeted childhood obesity for the last year.

East Shore High School in Orem makes between $9,000 and $10,000 a year on vending machine sales. But principal Tim Brantley said he's had complaints from students who wanted healthy options at the vending machines anyway, and he doesn't think sales will drop drastically.

"I just think we're better off having some healthier choices and losing a little bit of money," he said.

The school uses the money for student rewards, such as going ice skating or seeing a movie.

All three Utah County public school districts already bar vending machines in elementary schools and are working on policies that could further restrict sales. For example, the Provo City School District requires that 60 percent of vending machine offerings in all schools exceed the federal government's requirements for foods of "minimal nutritional value," such as soft drinks and candy made mostly from sugar.

In the Alpine School District, where vending companies serving middle schools and junior highs pulled sugary sodas in February, annual revenue at each school is expected to drop from an average of about $20,000 to about $14,000, said spokeswoman Jerrilyn Mortensen. Schools use the money for student recognition, she said.

In Provo, middle schools make approximately $10,000 to $12,000 a year, and high schools make about $30,000 a year from vending machines, said business administrator Kerry Smith.

The Nebo School District's policy requires that half of vending machine offerings include juices with at least 10 percent real fruit juice, milk, flavored milk, water and noncarbonated sports drinks with no more than 42 grams of added sweetener per 20-ounce serving, said Bill Vest, supervisor of child nutrition for the district. Schools must use at least $200 of the vending machine revenue toward nutrition education.

Vest said he'd like to see the district offer no more than 5 percent foods of minimal nutritional value.

"That way we can have healthy foods and offer those in the schools and be able to still appropriate monies for principals and schools that goes toward the education programs and helping the students," Vest said.

Jake Long, 14, a freshman at Provo High, said sodas are less expensive on campus and students should have options.

"I think if they take the regular sodas out of the schools, I wouldn't buy anything," he said, and added, "Pepsi is my water."

The agreement will be phased in over the next three years, with the participating soda sellers implementing the changes in 75 percent of the schools they serve by 2008-2009, and in the remaining schools the next year, the AP reported.

Moana Fonohema, 14, a freshman at Provo High, said she would drink the diet sodas, but said she thinks students should have choices.

"It should be half diet, half regular," Moana said. "The kids who want to drink diet soda can buy diet soda."

Anna Chang-Yen can be reached at 344-2549 or annac@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.