What to Stock Up on Before You Get Sick, According to Reddit

We can get our boosters and flu shots, wash our hands, and mask up in indoor crowded places. But, chances are good that, sooner or later, most of us will have a miserable couple of days at home due to a cold or other minor illness. When that happens, just reach into your under-bed container for a Gatorade.

This idea comes from a Redditor on the EatCheapandHealthy sub, who wrote that, every autumn, they begin to fill an under-bed tote with nonperishable foods they’ll be glad to have if they get sick. Their picks: instant soup and noodles, crackers, Gatorade, Tang, Jell-O cups, and applesauce cups.

“It’s just dumb luck that I put it in an under-the-bed tote,” they write, “but last year I had the flu and was so dizzy I couldn’t stand and I just rolled over and grabbed Gatorades from the tote.” The out-of-the-way stash also means that you won’t eat your last can of chicken noodle soup when you’re looking for a snack.

What to put in your sick-day stash

Other redditors chimed in with their favourite items to have on hand for when they get sick. Consider these as you’re assembling yours.

Comfort foods

Chicken noodle soup is a classic, but you can pick whatever foods bring you a little bit of comfort when you’re sick. These tend to be things that can be prepared without too much effort (you’re sick, after all) and that feel soothing on a sore throat. Instant soups and pre-packaged desserts fit the bill.

If you have a favourite snack for when you’re nauseous, that can go in the tote, too. Saltines and ginger ale, for example. Tea and honey, if you like having them for sore throats, would be another good addition.

Electrolytes and fluids

Hydrolyte was invented for dehydrated kids (especially those who have diarrhoea and vomiting), but adults can drink it, too. It has electrolytes like sodium and potassium, plus a little bit of sugar. Gatorade is a different formulation, but a similar idea.

One parent in the thread had another good idea: Get those Hydrolyte popsicles, and put some in the freezer before you need them. Then they’ll be available as soon as your kid starts feeling sick.

Medications

Are you always out of cold medicine right when you need it most? Check your medicine cabinet and stock up on whatever is missing or long-expired. You may want ibuprofen, a decongestant like pseudoephedrine, an antihistamine like Benadryl that can help you sleep, and maybe some cough drops.

Tissues

Throw a box of tissues in there, while you’re at it, and anything else that you tend to need when you’re sick but don’t use much otherwise. A thermometer to tell if you’ve got a fever would be another good addition.

A hospital go-bag

This is the advanced level. A redditor with a chronic illness mentioned that it’s helpful to have a bag ready to go in case they need to be admitted to the hospital. Pack the things you’d really miss if you had to go a day or two without them, like a phone charger and some clean underwear. Then add the things that will help keep you comfortable in a hospital setting, like a blanket or robe to stay warm, and maybe an eye mask and earplugs to get a better night’s sleep.