I'm a dietitian and busy mom. I swear by this one-hour meal-prep routine that saves me time and money all week.

Thanks to my meal-prep routine, it's easy to make flavorful, balanced dinners all week long.

Samina Kalloo As a mom and dietitian, I don't always have energy to cook — but I don't like relying on takeout.

I swear by an hourlong meal-prep routine that helps me plan easy, creative dinners all week.

I usually spend between $100 and $150 on groceries a week, and eat any leftovers for lunch.

Even though I'm a dietitian who loves making nutritious, creative meals , I don't always have the time or energy to cook an elaborate dinner.

I've spent plenty of evenings standing in front of an open fridge, debating what to make for my family — only to end up ordering takeout or making a spontaneous grocery-store run.

Eventually, I came up with a foolproof meal-prep routine, and I haven't looked back since.

I've found that spending about an hour over the weekend prepping versatile ingredients makes the rest of my week less stressful and easier on my budget.

Not to mention, I'm now less likely to order takeout, make an extra grocery run, or let food go to waste.

Here's what my weekly routine looks like, from grocery shopping to meal prepping to putting together meals my whole family loves.

First, I shop for meal-prep essentials. captiontk Samina Kalloo When shopping and planning out my meal prep for the week, I follow a formula of threes: three proteins, three vegetables, and three fiber-rich carbohydrates , which I call my "smart carbs." The specific foods can change based on what my family likes and what's on sale, but the formula stays the same.

It gives me a simple way to build balanced meals without having to think up every meal in advance.

Before I shop, I take a quick inventory of my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry.

If I already have rice, quinoa, pasta, or frozen vegetables, I build those into my plan instead of buying more.