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

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.

I make sure that I have a mix of vegetables, proteins, and fiber-rich carbohydrates every week.