Eat A Little Better is designed for people like your friend. Sam Kass was the White House chef for the Obamas, and he worked a lot with them on public policy re: healthy food and nutrition. He makes it easy to understand how to build a healthy meal that won't make you feel deprived, and his recipes don't require a lot of time, money, or skill. I've probably used the veggies section of this cookbook the most, and I'm confident anyone who dislikes veggies would find his recipes eye-opening.
Check out the cookbook Eat A Little Better by Sam Kass. I think you might find it pretty accessible and motivational. Kass was the White House chef and an advisor on food policy for 6 years during the Obama admin, and this book was a continuation of his work with them. It's designed to cover all the basics: nutrition, sustainability, stocking a pantry/meal planning, and fundamental cooking techniques like roasting, pan-frying, braising, etc. The recipes are reliably tasty and super beginner-friendly, and I turn to it a lot when I'm feeling too down to put much effort in at the stove, so I'm betting it would suit you.