I guess I'm kinda in between camps here. I do cook most our meals from scratch. Only very occasionally do I resort to something like fish fingers. And I mean maybe 4-6 times a year. I don't believe an occasional fish finger is going to do her much harm, but there are much better and tastier choices. And guess what, DD loves home cooked food much better than these convenience foods anyway (well, with the exception of chips, she loves those).

I don't feel bad if she has some of those vege chips (the ones you buy in the "health food" section in the supermarket) or even normal chips. Because I know it's not a daily occurence. She's just as happy munching on a carrot (I know, not reccommended at her age, but she's fine with it), celery or some cashew nuts. I guess I'm lucky that DD is happy with healthy choices. But I don't outlaw the occasional "naughty" snack.

DD started eating table foods pretty early. i think she was about 6 1/2 months old when she sucked the meat of a pork rib. Of course she couldn't have everything from our plates straight away, but she got whatever was suitable. For example when I made bolognese, I cooked some Risoni Pasta for her while we ate it with Spaghetti.

If we are running late with dinner, I often just cook some veges up for her so she can eat before we do. Like red capsicum, peas (frozen), broccoli, green beans. She loves snacking on these and it is just as easy as cooking some fish fingers.
I also made a habit of freezing meat in small portions, so if I needed a quick meal, I could just get a small piece of lamb fillet and grill that for her while the veges cooked.
And if I made something that she particularly liked (like Ratatouille and mashed potato), I often froze leftovers in ice-cube containers to use up another day. Actually, I still do that.

Sasa