When you have a family member with a food allergy or on a special diet, grocery shopping can be challenging. You want to shop at the commissary because of the great benefits but doing so can feel a bit overwhelming when you need to find certain foods for your family.

Here are 5 tips for ways you can find the items you need and still save money at the commissary.

1. Make a plan. Go to the commissary when you have plenty of time to do so. Walk through each aisle. Read labels. Knowing exactly what is in the food is the best way to figure out what your commissary has and what they don’t. I know in our commissary at Ft. Campbell we do have a small section of foods that are great for those with allergies. Not all commissaries might have them. If you can spend some time walking around you will know what they have and what they don’t and what you will be able to buy there.
2. Ask for what you need. If you can’t find certain foods that you need, ask to talk to someone about what can be done. Your commissary could have what you are looking for and you just missed it. They could be out of the particular item or they might not realize that people are looking for a certain food. By talking to someone in charge you can let them know what you are looking for and maybe they can add what they don’t have to their inventory. Any foods that will be added will need to be approved by DeCA and the process could take a while but making a request can be worth the time if you can get more foods that you need stocked in your commissary. You can also make a request using the Customer Comment Form online.
3. Plan for those must-have specialty items. If you can’t find certain foods in the commissary and you still need to buy them, you might need to make a plan. Start off your weekly shopping trip at the commissary to get everything else so you can keep your grocery bill low. Then, make plans to stop at a specialty shop to get the foods you need that the commissary doesn’t carry. You should make sure to check back at the commissary after a few months to see if they have added that product.
4. Skip the deli. As nice as the deli section of the commissary is, if you have a family member with food allergies, skipping that section would be best. You won’t be able to read the ingredients and you won’t know exactly what is in the food that you buy. You don’t want to end up assuming that a certain food item is safe when it isn’t. You can also ask the deli worker how they prepare the food.
5. Search and find substitutes. In some cases you will want to pick out an alternative food for one that would cause problems for you or one of your children. For example, instead of bringing home some ice cream, pick out a fruit-based dessert for those in your family with a milk allergy. You can involve your children in the process by allowing them to pick out what that alternative food is going to be.

Finding good and healthy foods when you have someone on a special diet can be a difficult task. With a lot of planning and using these tips, you should be able to find what you are looking for. Don’t ever feel like you can’t shop at the commissary because of your family’s special needs when it comes to food.

How do you save money when grocery shopping for specialty items for your family?