NBC - San Diego education reporter Rory Devine recently visited a school where birthday cupcakes nearly became contraband.

“Make sure you take some vegetables."

“Don’t forget to take milk.”

No, this is not the cafeteria worker guiding the elementary school children in the lunch line at Rancho Seco Elementary School in Santee, Calif.

It is the principal. She wears many hats.

On this day, Lisa McColl takes the NBC San Diego crew to the cafeteria so we can get some shots for our story on whether food celebrations should be limited to five for the entire school year. It is a proposal that is going before the school board that evening.

View more videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com.

Seems like a simple concept to me. But the principal tells me it’s been two years in the making. By limiting food celebrations to five, the district is effectively eliminating birthday celebrations with cupcakes!

Why can’t they just be first in line on their birthdays or wear a special hat, sit in a special chair? Do they really need more sweets? After all, there is a problem with childhood obesity.

Parent Joe Spencer has done his homework on this. He estimates that there are two cupcake celebrations on average each month. He wonders what the big deal is when the bigger deal is the bad food children are getting in the cafeteria?

View more videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com.

Remember the vegetables and the milk?

Spencer says only white milk should be served, pointing out how much sugar is in the chocolate milk.

The principal says giving children chocolate milk makes them drink milk.

Spencer says then give them apple pies to make them eat apples.

Ok! The bigger issue to Spencer is whether it’s worth fighting a battle over a few extra cupcakes when the war should be over whether cafeteria food is healthy, regardless of whether it meets federal guidelines.

Maybe they both have a good point. Get rid of the cupcakes AND have stricter federal guidelines so cafeteria food is healthier.

That would take a lot of money - and another story.

The proposal is voted down.

Rory Devine is the education reporter at NBC - San Diego.

All statements and opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual contributors, and not of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation or NBC News.