• FORT LEE
Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) patrons looking to save time, but add tasty food to their meal plans, are starting to see a new line of Freedom’s Choice Fresh soups, single-serve bowls and other items added to their stores’ prepared foods assortment.
The new prepared meals are arriving in phases to stateside commissaries, and will be attached to the stores’ deli-bakery section.
They provide a fast and convenient option for patrons who want to save money while avoiding fast food, said Bonita Moffett, director of the agency’s Sales, Fresh Directorate.
“Our goal is to offer a best-in-class stock assortment that delights our patrons and delivers savings,” Moffett said. “Commissary patrons should experience a second-to-none, customer-centric in-store experience that is as good as, or better, than that offered by premier retail grocery stores. Our new additions to our prepared foods inventory help us do just that.”
SELECTION
Patrons can expect to see the following Freedom’s Choice Fresh items in the front of the stores in the Grab-and-Go cooler as part of the Home Meal Replacement inventory:
Soups – Italian Wedding, Beef Chili, Chicken Noodle; Single-Serve Bowls – Saucy Beef & Noodle, Mandarin Beef Stir Fry and Spicy Primavera Pasta w/Chicken; Family Style – BBQ Chicken Pizza, Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Saucy Beef & Noodle, Mandarin Beef Stir Fry and Spicy Primavera Pasta w/ Chicken.
ROLLOUT
DeCA is releasing the new products in phases to its CONUS-based commissaries, starting with 11 items and $1-off coupons at the following 14 stores that arrived Oct. 29:
JB Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.; Dover AFB, Del.; NAS Jacksonville, Eglin AFB and Patrick SFB, Fla.; Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Meade and JB Andrews, Md.; McGuire store at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.; Fort Drum and West Point, N.Y.; Fort Belvoir, MCB Quantico and Fort Myer, Va.
Product tastings/demos are also scheduled later in the rollout. More items are scheduled for the next two phases starting in January 2026, with all stateside commissaries eventually having the products on their shelves.
EXCLUSIVE CREATIONS
The meals were developed by Pro Food Solutions, a fully integrated culinary company with over 30 years’ experience of feeding troops worldwide.
“These entrées add value by offering wholesome, high-quality meals at prices that rival national brands,” said James R. Taylor, chief of Fresh – Deli/Bakery/Prepared Foods/Sushi. “This is a premium line of products, inspired and created by a certified culinary chef.”
That chef is Nate Lopez, an accomplished culinary craftsman with over 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry.
He earned a degree in Dietetics and Nutritional Sciences while working in the VA Medical Center’s Nutrition Services Department.
Lopez is a world-renowned chef whose clients have included Cher; Lady Gaga; Elton John; Mariah Carey; Reed Hastings (founder of Netflix) and Louis Vuitton.
“These meals were exclusively created with the military lifestyle in mind — fresh, high-quality, ‘ready-to-heat,’ affordable, and nutritious options that fit unpredictable schedules,” Lopez said.
“There is an expanding variety of familiar flavors of home as well as flavors from around the world, “he added. “They’re available exclusively on base, which reinforces the sense of belonging and benefit tied to military service.”
BALANCING LIFESTYLES
DeCA started its Freedom’s Choice prepared foods launch in October 2024 to offer more easily prepared meal choices for commissary patrons.
Since then, the agency has steadily increased product options for families and individuals short on the time to prepare home-cooked meals.
These prepared foods offer more economical, ready-to-eat (RTE) alternatives, providing a high-quality shopping experience that patrons deserve, Moffett said.
“Many of our customers are trying to balance their busy lifestyles with little time to prepare traditional meals at home,” Moffett said. “We have viable precooked options, including our latest line of soups, bowls and other prepared meal solutions, that help our patrons save significantly at the register.”
Source: DeCA
Edited by Larry Lapka
