When normal people are sick, they go to soup or crackers; however, my prescription is Pringles. The salty, light chips consistently make me feel better no matter what I’m feeling. Sure, medicine, cool rags, hot tea, all that stuff did work to an extent, but if I really needed something to make me feel instantly better, I knew what to do. I would grab some Pringles.

I used these mainly when I had stomach aches. I don’t get sick very often, so it was a rare occurrence, but when I did, I tried everything to feel better. Most sicknesses I just deal with them until they go away. If they are resistant little bugs then I go to medicine, soup, and a cool rag, the basics. Usually those will help, but there are days when I need something a bit better.

Growing up, my family loved Pringles. That tall red can held pieces of perfection just beneath its crystal clear lid. It grew to be one of my favorite snacks. I’m plain jane when it comes to food, so we always had original Pringles in our house. There was always something so simple and delicious about them. As the commercials say, “once you pop, you just can’t stop.” Because of all of this, they rapidly became a normal food in my house.

When I was younger and stomach hurt, my mom would take care of me. After giving me the normal stuff to help my stomach ache, she would ask, “is there anything you’re craving? Anything you feel hungry for?” At that time, I said Pringles, and they really did help. The sharp pain in my stomach slowly went away, and I could just rest without going into armadillo position.

I tested this “Pringles Prescription” any other time I got sick. Turns out, it works for me. It’s like a pain medicine without the hard to swallow pill. I think everyone can agree that a can of Pringles sounds much better than a pill or shot of medicine.

However, a can of Pringles isn’t prescribed to everyone. These chips worked for me because they remind me of home and my family. They’re familiar and simple, no harsh flavors or funky tastes. They’re like a comfort snack, and when you are sick, all you may really need is comfort. Maybe your comfort food is Mac ‘n’ Cheese or pasta or maybe oyster crackers. Whatever it is, your body is familiar with it and accepts it unlike some of the food you only eat when you’re sick. Whatever your comfort food is, it’s worth testing out the next time you’re not feeling too great. Based on the sickness invading BGSU campus right now, you might want to grab some of that comfort food ASAP and try my Pringles Prescription.