This is the sixth article in the Get Started Eating Every Three Hours series that outlines how to start eating every three hours and the benefits of such a diet.

When eating a healthy balanced meal every three hours, you will be consuming a lot of food. Depending on if you’ll be eating five or six meals a day, you are looking between 35 and 42 meals a week. That is a lot of groceries.

Unless you enjoy going to the grocery store every other day, I highly recommend buying your food in bulk whenever possible. When consuming mostly natural foods, this gets a little difficult since most natural food will not stay fresh for long.

Don’t run out of healthy food

You must always have natural carbohydrates and protein in your pantry or fridge at all times. With those items you can assemble some sort of nutritious meal even if the choices are not an appetizing combination.

Running out of the key categories of food provides you a perfect excuse to eat whatever else you have in your pantry. The chips and ice-cream your spouse, child, or room-mate was saving starts to look mighty tasty when you run out of your own food.

Having enough food on-hand also keeps you from wanting to stop by a fast-food joint on the way to or from work because you don’t want to go to the grocery store.

Once you get into the habit of eating every three hours, you will get nervous when food starts to run low. Keep stocked!

Shop on a scheduled day

Back in the days when I was living an unhealthy lifestyle, I went to the grocery store whenever I felt the urge. If I ran out of food, I would order pizza or go out to a restaurant. Many times I would stop by the store to buy only enough food (usually bad food) to last me a couple of days because I did not plan ahead.

You may already be in the habit of shopping on a specific day of the week. If not, you need to pick a day, then get into the habit of buying enough food to last you at least a week. This will save the headaches of always running out of something crucial.

Buy canned or frozen food when possible

You are going to have to strike a balance between cost, time, and taste. Yes, fresh fish tastes better than something that has been cooked, frozen and/or canned. That freshness comes at the price of not only expense, but the time it takes to cook later on. Canned fish, such as tuna, is cheap and convenient. I also buy salmon that has been pre-grilled then flash frozen. Does not taste the greatest, but it does provide variety and convenience.

Fresh veggies are perfectly fine if you can eat them raw on a regular basis, saving you cooking time. I mostly buy frozen vegetables. Not only are they already chopped, but I can get tasty veggie combinations that save me the trouble of putting together myself. Brands such as Birds Eye allow you to steam your veggies right in the bag in less than five minutes. This is a fast and convenient solution to stuffing your fridge full of veggies that may go bad before you can eat them all.

Normally I don’t buy canned vegetables, from what I understand there are preservatives and sugars added to many brands. With the exception of corn, I think canned veggies are absolutely disgusting. Don’t get me started on canned spinach.

Fresh fruit usually works well for me and they last at least a week. Of the fruits that I eat, bananas tend to go bad the quickest, but if I buy them slightly green I’ll be good for the week.

Freeze what you won’t be cooking right away

Usually, it is cheaper to buy your red meats, poultry and fish in larger quantities. This is certainly the way to go if you have freezer space. Keep track of expiration dates and freeze the food that won’t be cooked right away. I don’t freeze meat that much, mainly because I have a small freezer stuffed with frozen veggies.

Those of you fortunate enough to have a large fridge, a second fridge, or a dedicated freezer can benefit from going to the butcher and stocking up on several weeks worth of meat. This should save you money in the long run.

This is the quick bachelors guide to shopping in bulk. I’m sure there are people out there accustomed to shopping for larger families that have many tips and tricks to share in the area of bulk shopping. I’d love to hear your comments!