One of the biggest concerns we hear from our participants is not getting enough nutrition and not eating healthily enough.
This is because, especially if you have limited mobility, it can be really challenging to cook safely or prepare meals without using a lot of time and energy.
Luckily, if you’re looking for easy recipes that require minimal prep and cooking, you’ve come to the right place.
Keep reading for 9 recipes that you can learn, either on your own or with assistance from a support worker, to increase your independence and ensure you’re getting enough nutrition from week to week.
Breakfasts
Microwave Scrambled Eggs
This yummy recipe could not be simpler with no need to use a stovetop—instead, just mix eggs, milk and salt, and pop in the microwave for 30 second intervals (stirring in between) until completely cooked.
If you want to add some different flavours, consider adding some shredded cheese, diced ham, or even some spinach or capsicum. This is a great way to cook the same, easy meal multiple mornings per week without growing sick of it quickly.
You could also put your scrambled eggs onto a breakfast muffin, burrito or sandwich for a heartier breakfast!
Accessibility Rating ♿♿♿♿♿
- Hands-off recipe
- Minimal preparation (minimum 3 ingredients)
- Cooks in less than 3 minutes
- Don’t need to wash the pan
Overnight Oats
Only requiring oats and milk, this is one of the easiest recipes you could incorporate into your mornings.
Most people like to add additional base ingredients (such as chia seeds, Greek yogurt and vanilla extract) as well as toppings (such as fresh fruit, nut butters and spices) to give their oats more flavour. But you can keep this recipe as simple as you like!
Overnight oats also have a ton of nutritional value, being high in fiber, rich in omega-3 (due to the chia seeds), and offering tons of protein.
Accessibility Rating ♿♿♿♿♿
- No cooking required
- Minimal preparation (minimum 2 ingredients)
- High nutritional value
- Easy customisation
Lunches and dinners
Caprese Salad
This is one of the easiest salads you can prepare, with just 6 ingredients (tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, olive oil and salt and pepper).
To spruce it up or add some different flavour variations, consider adding strawberries, avocado or even pesto.
Accessibility Rating ♿♿♿♿♿
- No cooking required
- Minimal preparation (6 ingredients)
Slow Cooked Pork Tacos
This delicious recipe can be stuffed into tacos or served with rice, providing multiple ways to enjoy this meal and get more than one use out of it.
You may even consider cooking the meat and serving it with just rice, then stuffing and freezing some tacos for a later date to save you more unnecessary cooking later.
Best of all, this recipe can be done in a slow cooker, so once you prepare everything (5 minutes maximum and 10 ingredients) you can set it and forget it.
There is a section of this recipe at the very end that requires crisping in a pan, but at that stage the meat is cooked so this is completely optional if you’d rather just dig in.
Accessibility Rating ♿♿♿♿
- Quick 5 minute preparation
- Flavourful even when plain
- Perfect for batching and freezing for later
- Can cook in a slow cooker
P.S: Would you be interested in a cooking workshop?
Helping Solutions is looking at hosting a variety of workshops throughout 2025 for NDIS Participants. Click here to have your say and signup to be notified of upcoming events.
Chinese Chicken Salad
While this recipe does have a lot of ingredients (most of which are for the salad dressing) it’s actually very simple to make because it just requires you to combine all the ingredients and mix them.
This salad is made on a cabbage base which is great for skin (antioxidants), bone (calcium) and heart (anthocyanins and potassium) health.
Accessibility Rating ♿♿♿♿
- Veggies stay fresh in an airtight container
- Shredded chicken can be frozen
- Quick prep time
Tuna Salad
This simple recipe is healthy and delicious, and because it contains tuna, it’s high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, essential vitamins and minerals (providing a lot of nutritional value).
There are also multiple ways you can serve this recipe, including on its own, on a sandwich or wrap, or stuffed into avocado or even in rice (see this onigiri recipe).
If you don’t want to use mayonnaise, you can substitute it out for Greek yogurt or use lemon juice instead.
Accessibility Rating ♿♿♿♿
- Minimal preparation (7 ingredients)
- Can freeze for up to 2 months (batch ahead)
Vegetable Stir Fry
This tasty stir fry recipe can be served as a main or side dish, and is a great way to use any leftover vegetables at the end of the week and consume a healthy dose of them.
It can also be served over rice or noodles, which gives you some variation options to keep meals interesting. You could cook a large batch of stir fry and serve half with rice for dinner, then freeze the rest for noodle lunches to get the most out of it.
Accessibility Rating ♿♿♿
- Multiple ways to serve – lunch and dinner options
- Prep time (10 mins) can be done separately to cook time (5 mins)
- Sauce is optional – can be substituted out for a simpler recipe
Snacks and desserts
Peanut Butter Protein Balls
This delicious and simple snack is easy to make and full of nutritional ingredients such as protein powder (muscle repair and low-fat), rolled oats (supports heart health and provides long-lasting energy), chia seeds (high in omega-3 fatty acids and supports bone health) and honey (supports immune health).
As a no-bake recipe, this is an ideal snack that you can batch and store for weeks (if not months) at a time, ensuring you always have something delicious and healthy ready to eat.
Accessibility Rating ♿♿♿♿
- No baking required
- Minimal preparation (7 ingredients)
- Simply mix the ingredients and roll into balls
- Can be stored in a freezer for up to 3 months – great for batching!
TIP: Can’t mix the ingredients by hand? Consider investing in a blender for this recipe.
Fruit Parfait
This recipe only requires you to layer yogurt, fruit and granola, making it a truly simple and nutritional recipe. It’s perfect for after dinner if you’re craving something sweet, or as a morning tea snack.
Similar to the overnight oats, you really only need 2 ingredients (yogurt and a topping of choice) – and you can stack as many toppings as you like.
Accessibility Rating ♿♿♿♿♿
- No cooking required
- Minimal preparation (minimum 2 ingredients)
- High nutritional value
- Easy customisation
Ready to prepare simple, delicious meals?
Learning recipes that are easy for you to prepare each day can go a long way in building your independence.
If one of your goals for 2025 is to improve your cooking skills, our Support Workers can assist you to prepare easy recipes through our Daily Living Supports. Get in touch to learn more.
