As a longtime New Mobility reader and contributor, and a certified nutritionist, I’m honored to be on the cover of this special print issue dedicated to health and wellness.

My personal health and wellness journey began over 40 years ago. As a teenager, I loved aerobics, long-distance running, and I was very conscious about what I ate. After sustaining a spinal cord injury 37 years ago, I tried to maintain my previous lifestyle — staying active and eating as I always had — but I was plagued with a host of chronic secondary health complications that disrupted my life, including neuropathic pain, tendonitis, UTIs, acid reflux, migraines, weight gain and neurogenic bowel issues. The drugs my doctors prescribed only contributed to side effects, for which more prescriptions were written. It was a vicious cycle. I was fed up. So, I decided to wipe the slate clean and try a new approach to my health: I changed my diet. It changed my life.

Many people with SCI or other mobility disabilities don’t realize how much their nutritional needs change after injury or diagnosis. I certainly didn’t. But, within months of altering my diet, I lost 10 pounds, all my secondary conditions disappeared, and I no longer needed a multitude of medications. This experience led to a career change, and it became my mission to make nutrition a core part of rehabilitation and long-term health for people with disabilities. I wanted to prevent others from going through over a decade of struggling like I did.

Today, I run a nutrition practice that specializes in working with individuals with neurological conditions. In 2013, I co-authored Eat Well, Live Well with Spinal Cord Injury, the first-ever nutrition book tailored to the needs of individuals with SCI. Since then, I’ve partnered with universities on research — with one study published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation — and spoken at conferences, hospitals and rehabilitation centers across North America, including the Mayo Clinic Neurorehabilitation Summit and Harvard Medical School.

The reality is eating well can be challenging, especially for people with disabilities. Between energy levels, time constraints, accessibility and costs, preparing nutritious meals can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are five simple, effective strategies to make healthy home-cooked meals easier.

5 Easy Tips for Home Cooking

1. Make Meals from Lentils, Legumes and/or Quinoa Two or Three Times a Week

These affordable pantry staples contain complex carbohydrates for energy, fiber for better bowel function, and protein for tissue repair, as well as essential vitamins and minerals.

Quick Tip: You don’t need to soak lentils or legumes overnight or even cook them. Just open a can of low-sodium chickpeas, strain them, add cucumber, olive oil, salt and pepper — voila, you have a tasty, nutrient-packed meal that will last for days in the fridge.

2. Cook in Bulk

Make your life easier by doubling or tripling recipes like soups, stews and bean salads.

Quick Tip: Store them in portions so you always have healthy, quick meals ready to go — no daily cooking required.

3. Buy Frozen Vegetables

Frozen vegetables are flash-frozen at peak freshness, locking in nutrients. They’re also prewashed and chopped, saving you precious time and energy.

Bonus: You’ll waste less money since they won’t wilt in the fridge like fresh vegetables.

4. Make One Pan or Pot Meals

I love these recipes! You literally throw everything in one pot or pan, cook it all together and, boom, dinner is done.

Quick Tip: Look for ‘One Pan Meals’ online or in cookbooks.

5. Invest in Time-Saving Kitchen Tools

Recently, I shared a video on the New Mobility YouTube channel about the Thermomix TM6 13-in-1 kitchen device. I’m not usually one for trendy appliances, but for me, this one was worth the investment. It can chop, cook, blend, boil, make an entire meal and even clean itself.

Bonus: It’s perfect for quick, weekly batch cooking. See me demo it at youtube.com/@NewMobilityMedia.

Joanne Smith has written for NM for more than 10 years. See our compendium of her articles and columns covering all aspects of how to eat and live well as a wheelchair user.