All about love: Customers can find discounted items in February for Valentine's Day, heart health and more

FORT LEE, Va. – If saving money and acknowledging the love of your life are the goals, your commissary has everything from candy to flowers to special heart healthy recipes.

“Before you break the bank, there are plenty of less expensive and more heart healthy ways to show your love on Valentine’s Day,” said DeCA Health and Wellness Program Manager Deborah Harris, MPH, RD, CDE (Masters of Public Health, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator).

“For that candlelight menu, check out our dietitian-approved recipes,” Harris said. “They help support heart health by featuring whole grain products, lean protein foods, and good sources of omega-3 fatty acids via fish and nuts. Of course, that romantic dessert could include dark chocolate in appropriate amounts, which are also great for the heart and even recommended at 1 ounce per day. For example, try our recipe for dark chocolate strawberries.”

Dietitian-approved recipes can also help parents as they prepare special Valentine’s Day treats for their children to take to school.

Patrons are also reminded to check the ends of aisles in their store for themed items with extra low pricing. Commissary customers can save even more time and money by accessing the current sales flyer on the DeCA website.

Overseas stores may have substitute events for certain promotional programs. Customers should check with their store for details or visit their store page to verify what’s available. Here are a few February promotions to consider for extra commissary savings:

• Commissary beef and pork savings. Check with your meat department for the commissary beef and pork savings:
  • Tailgate Special Power Box – Save up to 30 percent on 19 pounds of select cuts of pork and beef perfect for grilling
  • Fall Favorites Power Box – Save up to 25 percent on 15 pounds of select cuts of beef
  • Healthy Alternative Power Buy Box – Save up to 25 percent on 16 pounds of select cuts of lean beef and pork
  • Economy Power Buy Box – Save up to 25 percent on 15 pounds of select cuts of beef and pork

• Just Add Milk. General Mills cereals are featured during the “Just Add Milk” promotion. Look for the General Mills displays for high-value coupons and cereals. This promotion ends March 1.

• Tell Us Your Service Story. In observance of Black History Month, you can “Share Your Service Story” on Twitter or Instagram for a chance to win one $5,000 scholarship or one of three $1,000 scholarships. This contest is sponsored by Coca-Cola® in partnership with the USO and Mondelez. Applicants can post a photo or video no longer than two minutes to either social media channel, sharing service stories of their own or their relatives. All entries must use the hashtag #ShareYourServiceStoryContest. Military resale patrons will see contest displays in their local commissaries and exchanges. They can also go to Coca-Cola’s Tell Us Your Story webpage for more information. Contest begins Jan. 30 and ends on March 2.

• Healthy Heroes. Unilever will distribute 150,000 coupon flyers offering about $6 in savings to commissaries for its Seventh Annual “Healthy Heroes” event. These coupons were created exclusively for commissary customers. The company will also host up to 500 in-store demos, give away up to $60,000 in commissary gift cards and donate up to $5,000 to Camp4Heroes as part of this event. Select products from brands like Hellmann’s Best Foods®, Lipton®, Knorr®, Breyers®, Klondike®, Talenti®, Seventh Generation®, Dove® and Q-Tips®, AXE®, Caress ®, Suave®, St. Ives®, Vaseline®, Tresemme®, Degree®, and Nexxus® will be on display during the promotion. This promotion runs Feb. 17 through March 1.

“Remember, your commissary has all the ingredients you need for your Valentine’s Day meal,” Harris said. “Save money and be kind to your heart at the same time with our dietitian-approved recipes.”

-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees 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 covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.