As a single mother of four, Lynn Kutsal knows how hard it can be to cook wholesome meals. That’s part of what motivated her to start Nature’s Bounty, a green café that also provides take-and-bake meals.

The café went through the process of becoming a certified green business, meaning the daily business operations have been tested and approved as good for the planet. The café uses biodegradable soaps, energy-efficient appliances and a hybrid vehicle for deliveries, to name a few. And then there’s the food.

All Nature’s Bounty’s offerings are made from scratch, using whole ingredients. Sauces, soup stocks, salad dressings and even cream cheese are made in-house. Ingredients are fresh, organic and from sustainable sources, and the meats are free-range, humanely raised, and free of hormones or antibiotics.

Kutsal rejects the stereotype of organic food as bland. “There’s a lack of information that’s happened for a lot of people,” she said. “They think organic is … tasteless, yucky, dry.” Instead, she serves up meals that taste as good as they are nutritious.

Popular items such as the BBQ Chicken Panini ($8.95) or a cup of the Cheesy Potato Soup ($3.50) provide delightful stimulation for the taste buds. The Spinach and Havarti Breakfast Burrito ($7.50), served all day, is another highly popular item. Many diners enjoy the Apple Walnut Chicken Salad Sandwich ($7.50 whole, $4 half), made with roasted chicken, organic Fuji apples, sweet and spicy walnuts and plenty of veggies.

An organic smoothie ($5-$5.50) is just one of the café’s beverage options, and the dessert Carrot Cup Cake ($2.95) has brought customers back begging for more. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are available for specialized diets, and Kutsal described them as excellent fare. “Everything we do, we do very well.”

Nature’s Bounty also offers weekly take-and-bake dinners such as Shepherd’s Pie, Tamale Casserole, and Chicken and Dumplings, available in large and small sizes ($25 and $13). Homemade soup is another take-home favorite – by the pint or quart ($6 and $12).

The café offers a Dinner Club through which members can sign up for eight or 16 weeks of take-and-bake meals and receive a discount. Walk-in customers can purchase those meals as long as supplies last, or call ahead to reserve them.

“These entrees are very much family food,” said Kutsal. “It’s almost like having a meal from a personal chef.” She sees the Dinner Club as a way for customers to take home quick, easy meals without breaking their budgets – or their arteries. “This is about helping families stay out of the drive-thru.”

The café provides an extensive catering business for corporate events, weddings and parties. “We love the community that we serve here,” said Kutsal, who’s proud that Nature’s Bounty has maintained its high standards of cuisine for more than six years despite the recession. “It’s really a milestone,” she said. “That says something.”

Nature’s Bounty, located at 211 G St. in Antioch, is open Mondays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Saturdays and Sundays. Call 925-777-0600, e-mail lynn@naturesbountycafe.com or visit www.naturesbountycafe.com.