Zucchini are not my favorites at all. Hubby loves them, but I only like them if the flavor is overwhelmed by curry, chili, or some other strong flavor. I put some slices in my soup for yesterday's fast instead of mushroom, and they were pretty good that way. I might try the noodle-y version next time.
@judithn, I got the Bob Harper book you recommended from the library. (I LOVE interlibrary loan!) He has an excellent approach and you won't go wrong eating the things he suggests.
Unfortunately, many of his recipes are too carby for me. The idea that somehow complex carbs don't raise blood sugar is very popular, but not true for anyone with significant blood sugar issues, like me.
He is also wrong in claiming that rising insulin increases hunger. It is falling blood sugar coming off a peak that does that. But I am used to seeing these sorts of commonly repeated errors in bestselling diet books. His food suggestions are certainly very healthy, with perhaps the exception of the ground turkey, which is full of added phosphate, alas. And best of all, they are not too complicated to cook.
I am going to try his chimichurri beef and his curry when I get the ingredients. His felafel looked really good, too, except for the high carb count which wouldn't work for me except as an indulgence--and not on a fast day as it would make me too hungry. But I do love felafel, and I have never been able to make felafel at home that didn't fall apart in the frying. Baking them seems like a fine idea.
What have you made from that book, and were there any that were really tasty? Quite a few look like things I already make just slopping together ingredients (I used to be a pretty good cook though I burnt out after 20+ years of cooking every day for the family.) But it's possible they are better than what I make because of the little tweaks.
But reading his book also reminded me of why I love this 5:2 diet, because week after week of eating nothing but those bird-sized uber healthy meals---UGH.!Been there. Done that. Ended up feeling totally deprived! And when I get deprived, that is the end of the diet.
I so love that I can eat other stuff on 5:2 and not build up that feeling of deprivation. My fast days are extremely healthy, the rest pretty clean but lots more fat and salt. But I know for a fact that if I had to eat all those elegant, spa-like meals day in and day out for 6 months I'd end up with horrendous cravings for even more fat and salt, to say nothing of flour and sugar.
For me the secret to long-lasting diet success has been careful avoidance of perfection.