Make back to school meals easy and affordable with the commissary

NOTE: To see a DeCA video related to this release, click here.

FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. - As the summer season winds down, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) provides savings, convenience and resources to help families balance their back-to-school meal routines.

"Commissary stores deliver incredible value by selling high-quality products at the lowest possible prices," said Navy Command Master Chief Mario Rivers, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director. "Whether you're looking to prepare healthy and affordable meals or to find more time in your busy schedule, don't forget to shop your local commissary."

Families wanting to save money on back-to-school meals and snacks can take advantage of our private label Commissary Store Brands:

• Freedom's Choice beverages, pantry essentials, dairy products, snacks, and frozen foods (meats, vegetables, seafood) are equal to or better than national brands, and

• HomeBase sandwich bags, plastic wrap, containers, foil, plasticware, paper towels, napkins, and facial tissue take care of business at a fraction of name brand prices.

For nutritious back-to-school meal planning, the commissary offers a trio of wellness programs:

• Thinking Outside the Box (TOTB) meal solutions are featured in the commissary sales flyer every two weeks and offer dietitian-approved recipes requiring minimal ingredients that are quick and easy to prepare. TOTB featured recipe ingredients are offered at significant savings during the sales period. To help with your TOTB meal planning, DeCA has prepared a refrigerator card available for download, showing the TOTB recipe that will be featured during each 2024 sales period.

• Dietitian-Approved Thumb (DAT) labels on store shelves make it easy for patrons to quickly identify high-nutrition, quality foods to incorporate into a healthy eating routine. DAT uses U.S. Food and Drug Administration-defined health attributes to identify dietitian-approved foods that limit added sugar, sodium and unhealthy fat. The labels also identify foods with whole grains, healthy fats, fiber or lean protein.

• Grab-N-Go Dietitian-Approved Fueling Stations are located near the front-end checkout aisles in over 170 commissaries and offer tasty, nutritious meals and snacks that provide shopping convenience without the high calories or high cost of a fast food restaurant meal. Patrons can find products that offer protein, healthy fat, complex carbohydrates and low-calorie forms of hydration like low-calorie waters and sports drinks, deli sandwiches, single-serving hummus, ready-to-eat lean protein, fruits and cheese, no-added-sugar yogurts, low-sugar protein bars and prepared sliced fruits and salads.

Patrons can find more opportunities to save, win prizes, and make their back-to-school routines easier with the following offers:

• AXE Back to School Sweepstakes. Through Aug. 31, commissary patrons can enter to win prizes that include DeCA and Apple gift cards, Apple MacBooks, iPads and Apple Watches. A total of more than 90 prizes worth over $27,000 will be awarded. Visit www.operationintouch.com/backtoschool for more information.

• Back to School $10 Reward of Choice. Commissary customers can earn a $10 reward of choice by purchasing seven participating products in one transaction from Aug. 1 - Sept. 2. Customers should retain the printed paper receipt or Commissary CLICK2GO PDF receipt for submission to receive a $10 digital gift card reward toward cash, gas, restaurants, services, gaming, retail and more. There is no participation limit, and rewards will be available while supplies last. See store displays for more information.

• Back to School Giveback. Kellanova brands and the Military Family Advisory Network are teaming up to support military families. Simply purchase participating products through Aug. 25, and Kellanova will match and donate the equivalent to the Hunger Action Month campaign. Commissary patrons can also earn back-to-school bucks with each qualified purchase. Look for the in-store displays for more details.

• Box Tops for Education. General Mills offers commissary customers an opportunity to save money while supporting local schools through the Box Tops for Education (BTFE) program through Aug. 25. Shoppers can now use the BTFE app or mobile site to simply scan their receipt, and the earnings will instantly be credited to the school of their choice's account. See store displays and high-value coupons for participating General Mills brands.

• Kellogg's Back to School: Two Free Books. Through Aug. 25, commissary shoppers can get two free Penguin Random House books with the purchase of a participating Kellogg's product and a participating partner product in the same transaction. For more information, visit https://www.feedingreading.com/.

Whether preparing for back-to-school or everyday life schedules, the latest commissary sales flyer is always available at https://shop.commissaries.com/ or via the Commissary CLICK2GO mobile app. Specials featured in the sales flyer offer a higher level of savings beyond everyday low commissary prices. Patrons can save time and money by shopping for their groceries online with Commissary CLICK2GO and choosing a convenient pickup time.

-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