‘READY TO EAT!’ Commissaries launch Freedom’s Choice prepared foods to enhance patrons’ convenient meal options

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FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. - A new line of Chef-Inspired Freedom's Choice prepared foods from the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) are now on commissary shelves, offering patrons a significant boost in their quick-to-eat meal options.

The new prepared meals provide a fast and convenient option for commissary patrons who want to manage their grocery budget while avoiding fast food, said Edward Walters III, executive director of DeCA's Sales, Marketing and eCommerce Group.

"These products offer our patrons more options to cook nutritious meals at home and save time and money in the process," Walters said. "Nutritious, tasty, ready-to-eat meals at a nice low price - that's a tremendous deal for our patrons."

Patrons can expect to see DeCA's Freedom's Choice ready-to-eat items in the stores' Home Meal Replacement section under signage that says "Chef-Inspired Meals" and "Ready in 5 Minutes or Less." The prepared foods are part of the agency's growing private label inventory known as Commissary Store Brands. The new line consists of the following products:

• Chicken Pot Pie
• BBQ Beef Brisket Burnt Ends with Macaroni and Cheese
• Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
• Traditional Meat Loaf with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
• Country Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Corn
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
• Pollo Asada with Spanish Rice
• Slow-Roasted Beef Brisket in Red Sauce
• Chicken-Fried Rice Bowl

According to the Food Industry Association, more than 40% of consumers are looking for meal-planning help from grocery stores. Another grocery retail study shows that 31% of shoppers have increased their prepared foods purchasing - most of that traffic coming from Millennials and Gen Z generational consumers. To answer that growing trend, DeCA's Freedom's Choice prepared foods launch will offer more economical, ready-to-eat alternatives, said Bonita Moffett, the agency's Sales director.

"Many of our customers are trying to balance their busy lifestyles with little time to prepare traditional meals at home," Moffett said. "We have viable precooked options that help our patrons save significantly at the register."

DeCA's Freedom's Choice prepared foods launch is the start of a coordinated campaign to offer more easily prepared meal choices for commissary patrons. Future choices under development include vegetarian, kosher and halal meals, along with breakfast meals for children.

Commissaries are also looking at expanding prepared meals options for families and individuals with larger in-store, prepared meals sections, new recipesfor pasta meals, an expanded rotisserie program and larger sushi cases.

DeCA is also expanding its ready-made pizza options. Since May, nine stores have added pizza to their deli/bakery areas: Fort Gregg-Adams and Fort Eustis and Langley Air Force Base commissaries at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia; Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth in Kansas; Fort Leonard Wood and Scott Air Force Base in Missouri; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Illinois; and Fort Knox, Kentucky. Eventually, these pizzas will be available in select stateside commissary locations.

"Our goal is to deliver a premium shopping experience with a mix of commissary brands and national brands that offer the savings and value our customers deserve," Walters said.

As more Freedom's Choice prepared foods products make their way into DeCA's inventory, customers will be able to take advantage of regular promotions that offer even more savings displayed at the end of the store aisles.

-DeCA-

About DeCA:The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees, disabled veterans and other authorized patrons and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which supports the costs of building, modernizing and sustaining commissary facilities. A core military family support element and valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America's military services and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.