Fail to prepare, prepare to fail as the saying goes... especially when it comes to dieting. It's all too easy to destroy a week's good behaviour with a mayo-laden corner shop sandwich when you 'didn't have time' to pack a salad. These neat buys make the planning and prep stages more fun. 1. Box fresh Set aside an hour or two for meal prep on a Sunday night and measure your portions into boxes for the coming days. This prevents overeating when you're on the move. A lunchbox with compartments will keep food fresh and separated until you're ready to eat. 2. Keep your drinks portable This embossed cup has a wide straw for slurping smoothies or fresh juices. Add ice cubes if desired. €4.50, Penneys 3. Improve on the Cup O'Soup  These handy cups are ideal for healthy dining al desko. Pop the whole thing in the microwave, unclick the lid and enjoy your homemade soup at work. €7.99 at Homestore & More 4. Zest for life A microplane zester is ideal for adding a citrus kick to salads. A little lemon zest goes a long way with some garlic and olive oil in a dressing. You can also use it for a sprinkle of Parmesan. €27.95 at Arnotts. 5. Chop chop For such an inexpensive little gadget, the Twist n' Chop is one of the items in my kitchen that gets the most use. It chops anything from garlic and ginger to onion and pepper to your desired consistency in seconds. Plus it's rather fun to use. €5.99 here. 6. Pop culture The patented Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker (€42) freezes ice pops in as little as seven minutes on your countertop without electricity. The ingredients are up to you, but we love Greek yogurt blended with fresh strawberry and homemade lemonade with mint. Of course, a pound shop lolly mould will also do the trick. 7. Use your noodle A neat little device that will turn your favourite vegetables into spirals, 'pasta' or wholesome 'noodles' in minutes, the spiralizer is the fad that's established itself as a must have. Kenwood's new electric Spiralizer (€69.99) makes light work of the task in no time at all. With the choice of the Pappardelle Cutting Cone to create thick ribbons or Spaghetti Cutting Cone to create thin vegetable style noodles, it's easy to clean too. What are the healthy eating buys you swear by? Let us know on Twitter @HerFamilydotie.  This article originally appeared on HerFamily.ie