THE JOY OF EATING IN: Commissaries encourage patrons to prepare, share meals at home to provide nutritional, social and financial benefits

FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. – With the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in the rear-view mirror, more people are electing to eat out at restaurants rather than cooking meals at home. However, according to recent Consumer Price Index releases, the cost of eating out is outpacing the cost of preparing meals at home, making home-cooked meals an appealing option for both the wallet and your well-being.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) urges military families to focus on the value of cooking and eating meals together which will, hopefully, establish home-cooking as a longstanding tradition.

The benefits of sharing a home-cooked meal with your family go far beyond saving money and is a better choice for many reasons:

• Meals can be more nutritious and may taste better since there is more control and awareness of all the ingredients going into the meal.
• Portion sizes are much easier to manage.
•  Increased family meals are associated with a greater intake of fruits and vegetables.
• Children learn from observation. Healthy habits seen at home will translate into their adulthood. Taking part in preparing meals will teach kids how to plan, prepare and serve.
• Cooking meals together at home encourages quality family time and creates memories.
• Family meals improve family functioning – family connectedness, communication, expressiveness, and problem-solving.
• For children, regular family meals are linked to higher grades and self-esteem and less risky behavior.
• Meals prepared at home will generally save the family money.
• The entire family can be involved in using resources to develop meal plans and manage shopping lists.

“Make a commitment to share one more family meal at home each week,” said Deborah Harris, DeCA’s dietitian and health and wellness program manager (who holds a master of Public Health degree and is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist). 

“Small, consistent steps to share a home-cooked meal around the dinner table can have overwhelmingly positive benefits,” she added. “And it doesn’t have to be a time-consuming venture. Use quick, economical, nutritious Thinking Outside the Box recipes and other commissary resources to make preparing meals at home quick and painless.”

-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.