“I don’t know how to cook. I can’t afford to buy health food. It takes too long to make nutritious meals.” If these are among the reasons you’re unable to maintain healthy eating habits, take heart: Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market is simplifying food and making it easy to give your body everything it needs while avoiding unhealthy preservatives and chemicals.

Decorated in cheerful greens and yellows, Fresh and Easy’s atmosphere is warm and inviting. The first aisle features fresh produce. “Some of it comes straight from the farm in 24 hours,” said store manager Mandouh Attia. At the end of the first aisle, shoppers find a prepared-food section offering healthy meal and snack items such as Mandarin Chicken ($4.49) and Attia’s personal favorite, gourmet Lobster Ravioli ($6.99).

Products bearing the Fresh and Easy logo contain no preservatives, artificial colors or flavors. Meals in the Eat Well line contain less than 25 percent of the recommended daily calories, fat and sodium for a balanced diet. All these prepared meals make healthy eating a simple matter of heating up the food and enjoying it.

“You can get anything from breakfast burritos to beef stew,” said Attia. The Fresh and Easy and Eat Well lines also feature frozen microwavable meals for $1.99, ranging from Turkey and Stuffing to Chicken Tikka Masala. Quick lunch items such as salads, sandwiches and sushi are available fresh each day, and the store features assisted checkouts to accommodate independent shoppers and those who

prefer help with the checkout process.

For those who enjoy cooking, Fresh and Easy offers a plethora of fresh meats containing no added water or salt. Whole chickens sell for $1.29 per pound, and hormone-free beef is available in a variety of cuts. The meat is packaged in completely clear containers, so customers can see the entire cut and know exactly what they’re buying.

The store’s bakery creates delicious, fresh breads and cakes every day. An international section provides options from around the globe. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free products accommodate all eating styles.

Diverse wines and beers are available, including Big Kahuna wines for $1.99 per bottle, plus more than 100 award-winning wines exclusive to Fresh and Easy. Prominent tags mark organic products to make them easy to spot, and the store features a line of affordable, healthy food items tailored to kids.

Costs are kept low through eco-friendly practices. The store features 27 skylights to reduce electrical costs, and its floor material is designed to save on repair and maintenance.

Fresh and Easy is also a community-oriented company: food that passes its sell-by date is donated to local churches and food banks. “It really warms my heart to work with a company that gives back to the community,” said Attia. He feels good about buying the store’s products for his own family to enjoy. “We don’t mess with the food,” he said. “We keep the food in the food.”

Fresh and Easy, located at 3141 Balfour Road in Brentwood, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Call 925-516-4591 or visit www.freshandeasy.com.