March Forward to Wellness with Your Commissary!
Observing National Nutrition Month® in March
March 2024 marks the 51st anniversary of National Nutrition Month®! The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics created National Nutrition Month® in 1973 to educate the public on making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.
This year, DeCA will be promoting “March Forward to Wellness” as its campaign theme as we promote how Your Commissary can help you build healthier habits, such as choosing nutrient-rich foods to build your basket and cooking more meals at home to fuel your body for every stage of life!
We hope you’ll join Deborah Harris, DeCA Dietitian and Health & Wellness Program Manager (MPH, RDN, CDCES), and Navy Command Master Chief Mario Rivers, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the DeCA Director, as they host commissary live video chats on Facebook during National Nutrition Month®! Should you miss joining them live on March 11 or March 27 at 2:00 PM EDT, you’ll still be able to participate, as the recordings will be available for you to play afterwards.
“Since assuming the role of Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Director of DeCA, my eyes have been opened to the value of the dietitian-approved resources at our disposal,” Rivers said. “These tools readily facilitate the adoption of sustainable habits that bolster my preparedness and act as a safeguard against chronic illnesses. I am eager to inspire service members and their families to take advantage of the commissary benefit, which is instrumental in stretching their food budget, while simultaneously enhancing the nutritional value of their meals.”
You can also observe National Nutrition Month® by visiting our landing page and checking back each week to review featured Dietitian Approved Weekly Recipes that can help you with your meal planning!
Having The Right Tools: Your March Forward to Wellness
The DeCA Dietitian has developed health and wellness resources designed to meet you where you are and help you adopt a sustainable approach to building healthy habits. These resources are not only dietitian-approved, but also based on scientifically credible principles of nutrition and expert guidance from official government sources, like the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
Harris designed these resources to be user-friendly and adaptable to your personal health & wellness goals. “The ‘March’ forward to wellness may not look the same for everyone, so I encourage you to use these resources in whatever combination that you find works best for your life and goals,” she explained.
Making these kinds of lifestyle changes doesn’t have to be as challenging as it might seem. “Even simple changes, like cooking more meals at home or swapping out some recipe ingredients, can make a big impact and help you build sustainable habits,” Harris said. “All foods can fit in a balanced diet.”
A Trio of Programs Ready for You!
Thinking Outside the Box (TOTB) Meal Solutions: Cook More Meals at Home!
Thinking Outside the Box meal solutions pair quick, nutritious, budget-friendly recipes with scientifically credible, dietitian-approved guidance on how these meals can improve the nutrition quality of your diet. The meal solutions are not only convenient, but they also explain key principles of nutrition and teach you how you can put them into practice by making simple changes to other recipes. Plus, each sales flyer now includes the latest edition of “Thinking Outside The Box,” complete with current promotions for recipe ingredients so you can save more while building healthy habits!
Dietitian Approved Thumb (DAT): Build Your Basket with Us!
We did the work for you! The Dietitian Approved Thumb (DAT) makes it easy to build your basket with us by identifying foods that are dense in nutrition from attributes such as lean proteins, healthy fats and whole grains, in alignment with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Harris built the DAT exclusively for commissary customers, helping you to improve the overall nutrition quality of your diet by putting “Thumbs Up” tags on shelf labels for food products that are dietitian-approved. This makes it easier for you to identify products that can supplement your wellness needs while you’re shopping.
Dietitian Approved Fueling Stations: Standing by to Fuel Your Day!
Visit our “grab & go” Dietitian Approved Fueling Stations near the registers at participating locations to find a variety of nutritious and high-performance foods! Trading out fast food drive-thrus for the dietitian-approved alternatives these fueling stations offer allows you to maintain the convenience of eating on the go while still building healthy habits!
We also encourage you to visit our Deli Fueling Stations page to find a list of dietitian-approved salads, sandwiches and wraps that may be available in Your Commissary’s Deli Department.
Shop for Your Meal Ingredients in A Few Simple Clicks!
Use Commissary CLICK2GO, our online ordering service, to instantly add the ingredients of your favorite dietitian-approved recipe to your virtual grocery cart! When you’re ready to place your order, sign in to CC2G, click on the “Recipes” menu at the top of the page and follow these simple steps:
- Click on the checkbox for the “Dietitian Approved” filter on the left side of the page to show only the Dietitian Approved recipes.
- Click the recipe you want to add to your meal plan for the week.
- Click the “Add to Cart” button beside each ingredient to select the specific products you need to purchase to prepare the meal.
If you like, you can also click the printer icon in the upper right-hand corner of the recipe to get a printable version for easy reference while cooking.
A similar “Dietitian Approved” filter is available on the Recipes section of our corporate site, as well. Preparing nutritious food at home has never been easier!
Celebrating Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day, which fell on March 13 this year, commemorates the dedication of RDNs as advocates for advancing the nutrition status of Americans and people around the world.
A registered dietitian nutritionist can guide people of all ages in developing safe, realistic eating plans to motivate them as they march forward to their wellness goals.
We would like to recognize the DeCA Dietitian, Deborah Harris, for her contributions as she works to enhance the quality of life of service members and their families! Deborah, thank you for all you do!
Beyond National Nutrition Month® - Keep Marching Forward!
Although National Nutrition Month® will ultimately come to an end, you can keep marching forward with your healthy habits! We encourage you to visit our Healthy Living page regularly to stay up-to-date on the latest information.
“As we’ve moved around during my military career, my wife and I have always appreciated the work that commissaries have done to nourish our troops and their families, while saving them money,” Rivers said. “Emphasizing the importance of pursuing a nutrient-rich diet that promotes optimal performance in mind, body and spirit is paramount to mission readiness and resilience. Keep marching forward!”