Re: BLS and table food?
With BLS, especially in the early days, when people say they give the baby what they're eating they usually mean they give the baby parts of their meal that are appropriate for the baby.
So with things like pasta you can pull the pasta out before you put the sauce on it. Same with rice. Maybe drizzle a little olive oil or a touch of butter or parmesan cheese. When they are a little older and are eating more foods sauces are not a problem. If the ones you are using have a lot of sodium, either look for versions with less or only use a tiny bit on baby's portion.
I used a lot of frozen veggies (still do), which are quick and easy and healthy. I toss frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, edamame, etc in olive oil, a little salt and pepper and roast them in the oven for 20 minutes. Honestly, it couldn't be easier and they are delicious. You can do something similar as a stir fry. I'm talking cut the bag open with scissors and dump the contents into a skillet, stir it around a while and you're done.
In the very early days you are going to want to keep to single ingredients, so it's a matter of baking a sweet potato (just stick it in the oven for an hour or in the microwave for 5 minutes). Or slicing up fruit into french fry shaped pieces. Or making whole wheat toast and cutting it into strips. Let baby nom on those while you eat dinner, that can happen at home or out at the restaurant.
So really, especially in the early days there isn't much cooking involved. And what you do cook, you can always save in baby-size portions for tomorrow when you want to go out to eat or have a frozen dinner.
“We are not put on earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. If you are there always for others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you.”
--Anonymous