Family Fitness Month sets tone for January savings

FORT LEE, Va. – The new year is a time for new beginnings, which for many often includes adopting a healthy diet and fitness routine following the holiday season.

Conventional wisdom suggests a long-term lifestyle change will yield better, lasting results than a winter fad which melts away before spring blooms. The good news is that January is Family Fitness Month, and your commissary has the nutritional tools to get you started.

“Whether it’s the Healthy Living section of our website or the Nutrition Guide Program in our stores, we offer the information and resources to help you make healthy choices,” said Tracie Russ, the Defense Commissary Agency’s director of sales. “We’re also offering a contest and healthy savings through a variety of promotions to help you start the new year off right.”

In January, military commissaries are offering discounts and special promotions beyond everyday savings. DeCA encourages customers to check displays at the ends of the aisles, where stores showcase products with extra-low prices.

Overseas stores may have substitute events for certain promotional programs. Customers should check with store managers to verify when they will be offering the following sales events:

• DeCA has partnered with the exchange services to offer an essay contest: Enter to Win a Cookout with Chef Robert Irvine on www.MilitaryFitFamily.com. Write about what you and your family can do to become healthier and how your local commissary and exchange can support you. You can find the essay prompt and rules on the website; entries must be received no later than Jan. 31.
• ­­Kellogg’s Special K Powering You in the New Year promotion will offer savings on Special K cereals (42 percent savings), protein bars (21 percent savings) and frozen entrees (36 percent savings on quiche) to help commissary patrons begin the New Year with self-care in mind. Savings offered throughout January.
• Kraft Heinz is offering discounted coupon deals through its Big Game, Big Savings promotion. Commissary customers can enjoy $3 or $5 coupons distributed in-store on their top participating brands. Check store displays for details on these offers and related recipes. Coupons offered throughout January.
• During its Fisher House Scholarships for Military Children event, Hershey will donate up to $25,000 to the Fisher House scholarship fund. The company will also offer savings on its party-size chocolate candy bags and display its new Hershey’s with Reese’s Pieces candy bar. Savings offered throughout January.
• Procter & Gamble is marking its 39th Special Olympics promotion by donating $75,000 to the Special Olympics and delivering the following savings:
  • Distributing brandSAVER booklets containing nearly 50 coupons totaling more than $81 in value in major U.S. newspapers on Dec. 30.
  • Distributing more than $20 million in brandSAVER coupons in commissaries worldwide the week of Jan. 1.
  • Offering additional savings through the Commissary Rewards Card, including more than 60 digital coupons totaling more than $135 and an opportunity to earn a $5 credit toward your next shopping trip.

“When you start your New Year’s resolutions, start at your commissary,” Russ said. “We can help you make healthier choices to build the foundation for a healthy, balanced lifestyle.”

Find healthy living resources and information about the Nutrition Guide Program.

-DeCA-

-- By Courtney Rogers, DeCA consumer advocate

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.