turning convenience – Nutritionist Sophie Gastman says you don’t have to choose between homemade meals and convenience foods. She leans on three staples—fish sticks, tinned fish, and instant noodles—then adds simple sides to balance protein, fiber, carbs, and healthy fats, aiming f
Sophie Gastman keeps a freezer stocked and a cupboard ready for the days when cooking feels like too much.
When she’s low on energy—or simply nostalgic—she doesn’t force herself into complicated routines. Instead, she builds balanced plates around convenience foods and store-cupboard staples, treating them as building blocks rather than guilty shortcuts.
“There’s a lot of guilt that comes with buying certain ingredients,” Gastman, a nutritionist who fights misinformation and the author of “Find Your Healthy,” told Business Insider.
She points to something she wants people to internalize: “In nutrition, it’s never black and white. There’s always the middle ground.”
Fish sticks
Gastman reaches for jumbo fish sticks she always has stocked in her freezer on days she’s feeling exhausted or nostalgic.
She typically puts them in an air fryer, adds chopped potatoes to make homemade fries, and pairs the meal with peas. In about 15 minutes, she can put a plate together with protein from the fish, and fiber and nutrients from the peas and potatoes.
Tinned fish
Gastman also treats tinned fish as a permanent pantry item.
“It’s having a moment because it’s versatile, high in protein and healthy fats, and minimally processed,” she said.
“I always have tinned fish. I’ve got tuna, sardines, mackerel, salmon, literally always,” Gastman said.
She keeps it flexible: she tosses the fish onto a salad, smashes it on toast, or stirs it into a stir-fry or a bowl of rice. “You could literally put them on anything,” she said.
Instant noodles
When speed matters most, Gastman keeps instant noodles in her cupboard.
She pairs hers with edamame beans, which she always has in the freezer, plus frozen dumplings, an egg, and whatever vegetables she has on hand.
Gastman describes her approach as a question she asks before she starts: “What can I add to a very basic meal, like an instant noodle, to make it a bit more balanced?”
If you’re trying to balance protein. fiber. carbs. and healthy fats. her answers come from the same place every time: use the convenience food as the base. then bring the rest of the nutrients in through additions you can keep on hand—peas and potatoes with fish sticks. salad or toast with tinned fish. and a freezer-and-fridge mix with instant noodles.
Sophie Gastman Find Your Healthy nutritionist fish sticks tinned fish instant noodles protein fiber meal prep convenience foods air fryer edamame
Fish sticks are fine but “balanced” sounds like a stretch. Didn’t they fry them in oil? lol
So she’s just like… adding peas and calling it health? I mean peas are good, but fish sticks are still fish sticks. Also I’ve never seen “instant noodles + dumplings + egg” as a time saver unless everything’s already cooked.
This is gonna sound dumb but I think the point is you can eat like junk as long as you have “tinned fish” in the pantry. Like my grandma just did tuna packets and somehow she lived to 90. So yeah, middle ground or whatever.
I read “nutritionist turns fish sticks into balanced meals” and was like ok but does she talk about sodium or nah? Because tuna and noodles both be loaded. Also air fryer fries?? potatoes?? Idk I just want one meal that isn’t 40 ingredients and a freezer inventory.