“Make half your plate vegetables and fruits” is a key message from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which emphasize the importance of consuming vegetables each day. Why? Because eating vegetables provides plenty of health benefits. Research shows that people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables also provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.

It can be challenging to include vegetables in your meals while keeping things tasty and fun. Spiralizing vegetables is one way to do both! With a spiralizer, you can create curly veggies that resemble noodles. Though spiralizers can be found at different prices, inexpensive models are available for around $15.

Summer squash and root vegetables are best for spiralizing. With a turn of the crank, you can create colorful additions to your favorite meals. Spiralized veggies can also take the place of pasta in your favorite dishes. Zucchini zoodles are the classic substitution, but you can also experiment with yellow summer squash, carrots, kohlrabi, parsnips, cucumbers or beets. Veggie spirals can give salads, soups and side dishes a fun twist as well.

Spiralizer blades are sharp, so be careful of little fingers in the kitchen. With some supervision, your kids might enjoy turning the crank. Children who help with the cooking are more likely to eat what they prepare.

We used spiralized zucchini in today’s recipe for Pad Thai with Zucchini Noodles. You may notice another ingredient that’s new to you: powdered peanut butter, which is made of roasted peanuts that have been pressed to remove oil and then ground into powder. This cuts some calories by removing fats while still providing the flavor of peanut butter.

Let us know what you think of our spin on pad thai.

Bethany Thayer is a registered dietitian nutritionist with Henry Ford Health. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog. For questions about today’s recipe, email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org.

Serves: 4 / Prep time: 30 minutes / Total time: 1 hour

4 cups zucchini noodles (2 medium zucchini)3 tablespoons sesame oil½ cup water½ cup powdered peanut butter3 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce2 tablespoons dark brown sugar½ teaspoon chili pepper flakes2 cloves of garlic, minced3 green onions with greens, sliced2 limes, quartered1 cup fresh cilantro1 cup bean sprouts¾ cup unsalted peanuts, finely chopped

Wash and trim ends of zucchini. Create zucchini noodles using a spiralizer or vegetable peeler and set aside.

Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together water, powdered peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar and chili pepper flakes for peanut sauce. Set aside.

To the hot oil, add minced garlic, green onions and zucchini noodles. Stir to coat and cook for 3 minutes. Add peanut butter sauce mixture to skillet, stir, and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and divide noodles over four plates.

Garnish each plate with 2 lime wedges, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, ¼ cup bean sprouts and 2-3 tablespoons of chopped peanuts.

Cook's notes: Choose a zucchini with a straight rather than curved shape for longer noodles. If you want to make this gluten-free be sure to purchase a gluten-free soy sauce.

301 calories (62% from fat), 21 grams fat (3 grams sat. fat), 21 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams protein, 437 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 56 mg calcium,  5.5 grams fiber. Food exchanges: 4 vegetables, 1 protein, 3 fat.