This is my favorite kitchen tool set for families with toddlers (or children of any age -- including me!). You twist and snap in the interchangeable blades to slice or julienne. It’s easy to handle and easy to wash – goes right into the dishwasher.

Our favorite blade? The apple corer/slicer makes coring an apple effortless -- and it slices the apple at the same time. The apple wedges are perfect for snacking with cheese or peanut butter or just as they are. We use ours several times a day. During apple season we use it to do the first cut before drying apples or putting them into apple pie. The cuts aren't small enough for the final (we use a knife to cut the wedges in half again for drying and pies), but that's a lot faster than doing it all by hand.

Note: The apples out of our drier are usually intercepted on their way to the pantry. So much for putting up apples for the winter!

We also love how the julienne blade makes it easy for parents to make healthful finger food snacks for the kiddies – turn baked sweet potatoes into fun strips, or make cheese into fun little squares.

Another wonderful tool is the Williams-Sonoma Professional Multi-Chopper.

This model is a luxury item, but great fun with toddlers and can be worth the investment if you're having trouble getting toddlers to eat healthy foods. Years of experience has helped us discover a key to encouraging even the pickiest of eaters to enjoy fruits and veggies: get the kids involved in the preparation! With the spring-loaded slicing lid, your toddler can actually cut, julienne, chop and wedge fruits and vegetables into finger foods shaped perfectly for their little fingers!

This sturdy tool is also dishwasher safe and can be locked closed for safe storage. Although it is a little bulky, it's a time saver for any cook and a great way to bring your kids into the kitchen.

The Healthy Snack Multi-Slicer from KidCo is available online at Amazon.com

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