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This year, we're all spending more time at home with our loved ones. And, there is nothing more fun than preparing a healthy meal together. 

We hope these convenient tools can bring some joy into your meal prep and even inspire you to incorporate more fresh veggies, fruits and herbs into your cooking.

: The veggie noodle trend is a fun way to substitute fresh vegetables in place of pasta in dishes that your family already loves. Although there are a variety of prepared veggie noodles on the market these days, you can save some money by making your own at home. Making zoodles is fast, easy and fun! Try making this month’s HealthPerks recipe, Chicken Zoodle Soup, for a healthy take on a classic winter staple.

: Take the hard work out of chopping your produce � and make dicing onions completely tear-free � with an inexpensive multi-function food chopper. This time-saving tool can cut vegetables, fruits, nuts and herbs just by pulling a handle. This manual food chopper is a quieter, simpler and cleaner alternative to traditional chopping methods. Trust us: you will want this gadget on your counter at all times. Try it out with our Cowboy Caviar recipe!

: Veggie rice is more popular than ever. This is another great way to cut carbs by replacing wheat-filled ingredients with your favorite vegetables. Similar to veggie noodles, vegetable rice is sold in many grocery stores � but with a hefty price tag. With a ricer tool, all it takes is a few intuitive twists and voilà, you have affordable (and fresh!) veggie rice. Most ricer tools don’t have metal blades, which makes it a fun gadget that your kids can use to get involved in the cooking process. Use it with our Turkey Soup recipe by substituting the grain rice for your favorite veggie alternative.

: Prepping a salad may seem easy, but when you buy a whole head of lettuce, it can be a hassle to cut it into bite-sized pieces. These neat new bowls take the guesswork out of salad prep by slicing perfectly-sized pieces while limiting the chances of any slip ups with your knife.

You may have lived without these tools in the past, but once you try them, you’ll never want to be without them again � and that’s OK! These inexpensive and useful gadgets may be just what you need to make cooking fun again. Your health and your budget will surely reap the benefits.

This article first appeared in the February 2025 edition of the HealthPerks newsletter.