Lactose intolerant... and no soy. Dairy alternatives? (not just milk)
BigAnnieG
Posts: 89 Member
Hi all,
I'm supposed to avoid lactose because it seriously irritates my eczema and my stomach does not agree with it. I'm also not supposed to be eating soy because of thyroid and hormone things (these are all things instructed by qualified NHS doctors and dietitians, not woo from the internet!).
As such, I'm running out of options and wondered what other people like to use as alternatives? I love Arla's Lactofree range, especially the milk, but it's expensive and only comes in 1l cartons so I need to buy a lot of it which my wallet doesn't like (and makes me look like a milk obsessive at the checkout).
I also use their lactofree cheese but it only comes in mild and I'm a mature kinda gal. They also do a fair raspberry/strawberry yoghurt pack.
But that's where it stops. I LOVE greek yoghurt, and miss it so much, but haven't yet found an alternative. What about other milk options? I've discovered almond milk is nice in porridge.
Any other recommendations that are available in the UK? Cutting out dairy just isn't an option for me, so I need to find suitable alternatives that are tasty!
Also recommendations for lactose free protein would be a fab help too; I tried pea protein but it tastes like sand.
I'm supposed to avoid lactose because it seriously irritates my eczema and my stomach does not agree with it. I'm also not supposed to be eating soy because of thyroid and hormone things (these are all things instructed by qualified NHS doctors and dietitians, not woo from the internet!).
As such, I'm running out of options and wondered what other people like to use as alternatives? I love Arla's Lactofree range, especially the milk, but it's expensive and only comes in 1l cartons so I need to buy a lot of it which my wallet doesn't like (and makes me look like a milk obsessive at the checkout).
I also use their lactofree cheese but it only comes in mild and I'm a mature kinda gal. They also do a fair raspberry/strawberry yoghurt pack.
But that's where it stops. I LOVE greek yoghurt, and miss it so much, but haven't yet found an alternative. What about other milk options? I've discovered almond milk is nice in porridge.
Any other recommendations that are available in the UK? Cutting out dairy just isn't an option for me, so I need to find suitable alternatives that are tasty!
Also recommendations for lactose free protein would be a fab help too; I tried pea protein but it tastes like sand.
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Replies
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Almond milk is pretty awesome!0
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Try coconut yogurt.0
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Almond milk is great as a milk alternative. Just be careful here in the UK with the "coconut yoghurts" - I LOVE the one Tesco do but it's just regular yoghurt with coconut in it. I found that out the hard way hahaha my poor tummy!0
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I'm lactose intolerant and I stick to the lactofree stuff by Arla too. I miss being able to eat different yoghurts though, they only do strawberry and raspberry lactofree yoghurt. Generally I just put up with not being able to eat certain things, it certainly helps on the diet side of things, especially like not being able to eat ice cream. If there's something that I really want to eat though, I have bought Lactase Enzyme Tablets that you take before you eat something containing lactose. It converts the lactose for you once you've consumed it.0
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I highly recommend Cashew milk. And I am not sure if it will work in your case but my partner is lactose intolerant and He uses fairlife (cause he loves chocolate milk) and it is supposed to be lactose free. i would just ignore their old adverts for the product lol.0
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I almost envy your need to be lactose free. There seem to be more main stream like products that can be available lactose free.
I discovered my casein intolerance among others thanks to private testing, NHS experts told me repeatedly, I have no problem with milk!! Casein troubles are more common in the UK, it can mean all goat dairy may be possible because the dominant casein protein is of a different type. Goat milk is closest to human milk.
I've been on line to look into Lactose, according to the Mayo Clinic there are three different types of intolerance, primary, secondary and congenital/developmental. It seems to come down to insufficient lactase production and the milk sugars pass through undigested. Food Programme (UK Radio 4) a couple of years ago did a program on A2 milk. Interestingly A2 milk does not cause issues in many who are said to have lactose intolerance. From the A2 advertisement it seems its a1 intolerance which causes eczema, mucus, skin issues,
I found Patient.co.uk, part of the NHS network, it says cheddar, Edam, parmisan and Emental contain very little lactose. Hints a little may not cause as great an issue, obviously this would be person specific. They also say lactase supplement products can be found in health food shops. The principal here is to replace/support the lactase a lactose intolerant person is lacking. NHS Choices was less helpful.
I prefer rice milk. Oat milk seems floury to me having eliminated all dairy for 4 months. There are vegan cheeses some made from coconut oil and the like but they don't have nutritional values of dairy cheeses. Could you try nut butters? The range is increasing, I saw cashew and I think Almond the other day our main supermarkets. You may find something interesting on Vegan sites or in the niche foody sort of shops. There is, Moo Free chocolate, available in branches of Waitrose and larger Sainsbury's (purchased for grandchild)
As for your thyroid issues, you may find the information pack provided by Thyroid UK useful (it was £10 recently) available on the website. Also Stop the thyroid Madness, site US based also has information too. I have hashimoto's thyroiditis and the NHS in most areas does not differentiate hypo and hashi which is only diagnosed by the presence of antibodies but often this test is not performed. The treatment is only ever the same, t4. Reducing these antibodies does not seem to be considered, well by the endo I used to see. T4 only supplementation is the NICE treatment of choice but it does not suit everyone. Thyroid UK lists the treatment options which should be available. I have had to go outside the NHS because I have been told the only treatment is t4 and I react to both the pills and liquid and there is nothing hypo-allergenic available.
Sorting the HPAT axis could well see off all food and environmental intolerances. Endo texts.
Best of luck0 -
I have been using cashew milk for about the last year or two and really like it. I have also heard people using rice or coconut milk as an alternative. For cheese and yogurt maybe you could look into some vegan options.0
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Cabot brand cheeses are lactose free.0
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Be aware of all the aliases for soy: natural flavors, etc. Try your hand at making nut milks with your blender.0
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There's also hemp protein and rice protein out there that you could try. I've seen ones that come in vanilla or chocolate flavor, too.
You could try the brand Oatly, who make a lot of dairy alternatives from oats. I like their oat milks (also a chocolate one), oat cream and just last weekend I even had their cream cheese. Almond milk is fantastic, but definitely give rice milk and others a try too to see how you like them.
There's also a plant based cheese brand called Viotros/Violife and I believe the main ingredient (instead of soy) is coconut oil and some other vegetable oils. They make different cream cheeses and also cheese blocks.0 -
Have you researched Raw Milk at all? If it's legal in your state, it could be worth a try. Goats Milk is also a great alternative. I wouldn't drink anything like Coconut or Almond Milk or Rice Milk, they are full of additives and things that you may not want to put in to your body.0
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You can make dairy alternatives yourself using nuts. You can buy them too, but they are expensive (although I honestly prefer them to the "real deal"). The Vegan Pantry is a great book.0
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michelle172415 wrote: »I wouldn't drink anything like Coconut or Almond Milk or Rice Milk, they are full of additives and things that you may not want to put in to your body.
Organic almonds, spring water, organic acacia gum and sea salt.
Coconutmilk (Filtered Water, Coconut Cream), Contains 2% or less of: Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D2), Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Lecithin, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum.
Filtered water, organic brown rice (partially milled), organic expeller pressed safflower and/or canola oil, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, vitamin B12.
Sound like such unhealthy ingredients don't they
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Fairlife milk, Silk Cashew milk, Chobani plain greek yogurt is 95% lactose free and I've heard oikos yogurt may be. Do you have an Aldi where you live? Their Happy Farms sliced cheddar and mozzerella have a lactose free stamp on the back. A lot of the cashew and coconut ice creams are good along with coconut whipped topping. I'm not sure what you mean about the protein because most if not all are lactose free..?0
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I personally use Almond or soy milk. My daughter drinks Rice milk.
I don't have issues with soy so I am fine using things like faux cheese and things like Tofutti.
Be careful as milk is in almost every packaged item!0 -
michelle172415 wrote: »Have you researched Raw Milk at all? If it's legal in your state, it could be worth a try. Goats Milk is also a great alternative. I wouldn't drink anything like Coconut or Almond Milk or Rice Milk, they are full of additives and things that you may not want to put in to your body.
I've heard this many times over the years but unfortunately goats milk has lactose in it as well, even raw. Some people who are milk intolerant tolerate it better but if you are truly lactose intolerant it is a big no no.0 -
lessismoreohio wrote: »
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melonaulait wrote: »michelle172415 wrote: »I wouldn't drink anything like Coconut or Almond Milk or Rice Milk, they are full of additives and things that you may not want to put in to your body.
Organic almonds, spring water, organic acacia gum and sea salt.
Coconutmilk (Filtered Water, Coconut Cream), Contains 2% or less of: Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D2), Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Lecithin, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum.
Filtered water, organic brown rice (partially milled), organic expeller pressed safflower and/or canola oil, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, vitamin B12.
Sound like such unhealthy ingredients don't they
Do you know what acacia gum is? Or what constitutes "natural flavor"? Do you regularly consume vegetable oils? I certainly don't want them added to my beverages.
Different strokes for different folks, I'd rather not put any of those additives in to my body and get my vitamins from whole foods, not through fortified beverages. Do you know what the ingredients in goats milk are? Goats milk.
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michelle172415 wrote: »Have you researched Raw Milk at all? If it's legal in your state, it could be worth a try. Goats Milk is also a great alternative.
@BigAnnieG I grew up on raw goat's milk. My mother knew lots of people who could not tolerate cow's milk who were fine with goat's milk. YMMV.
I don't drink any sort of milk now and in your situation would just switch to cuisines that didn't have a big emphasis on dairy.
I know you don't want to give it up though. What about making your own yogurt from the Arla's Lactofree milk?
http://www.examiner.com/list/homemade-yogurt-recipe-for-beautiful-skin-and-weight-loss
(There's some woo but the directions seem solid.)0 -
You say giving up dairy is out of the question so I imagine the rich creaminess appeals to you. Just be warned that the dairy replacements (other than Fairlife) typically are much lower in protein. Milk gives you milk. The others might give you rich creaminess of a sort, and often more calcium, but they are not the same.0
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michelle172415 wrote: »melonaulait wrote: »michelle172415 wrote: »I wouldn't drink anything like Coconut or Almond Milk or Rice Milk, they are full of additives and things that you may not want to put in to your body.
Organic almonds, spring water, organic acacia gum and sea salt.
Coconutmilk (Filtered Water, Coconut Cream), Contains 2% or less of: Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D2), Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Lecithin, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum.
Filtered water, organic brown rice (partially milled), organic expeller pressed safflower and/or canola oil, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, vitamin B12.
Sound like such unhealthy ingredients don't they
Do you know what acacia gum is? Or what constitutes "natural flavor"? Do you regularly consume vegetable oils? I certainly don't want them added to my beverages.
Different strokes for different folks, I'd rather not put any of those additives in to my body and get my vitamins from whole foods, not through fortified beverages. Do you know what the ingredients in goats milk are? Goats milk.
Acacia gum is a natural gum made from hardened tree sap. It's been used since antiquity. If people want to avoid foods made from sap, they're perfectly free to do so. But I am not aware of any compelling health reason to do so. And I like maple syrup, so I plan to keep eating foods made from sap.
"Natural flavor" is found in a wide variety of foods. Again, people can choose to avoid it. But why? Just because? Same with vegetables oils. I need some fat to live. Any specific reasons why these fats in particular should be cut from the diet while including fats from dairy?
A preference not to put additives in your body is just that . . . a preference. If you're going to tell other people what they should avoid, maybe come up with a specific reason why?0 -
There are lactose free milk products out there. Lactaid is fine for me to drink (I'm just too cheap to buy it) and I'm lactose intolerant.
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I take Lactaid (generic, though) tablets all day long and consume tons of dairy
I break them into bits depending on how much and what I'm eating or drinking. It works great. I can eat a lot more yogurt than anything else without having to take the enzyme, so you might try the yogurt in a small amount and see how you do.
Mine's all digestive, though. I've never noticed any other symptoms, although my big digestive symptom is actually bad abdominal pain! It took me forever to figure out it was a lactose problem (I didn't have it growing up).0 -
Almond beverage from trader joes!!!!!0
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SeptemberFeyre wrote: »michelle172415 wrote: »Have you researched Raw Milk at all? If it's legal in your state, it could be worth a try. Goats Milk is also a great alternative. I wouldn't drink anything like Coconut or Almond Milk or Rice Milk, they are full of additives and things that you may not want to put in to your body.
I've heard this many times over the years but unfortunately goats milk has lactose in it as well, even raw. Some people who are milk intolerant tolerate it better but if you are truly lactose intolerant it is a big no no.
I'm lactose intolerant, but I can tolerate a small amount of raw milk (or super-fermented yogurt --over 24 hours) pretty well. Raw milk still has some lactic acid bacteria in it, so they can help break down some of the lactose in it.
Instead of butter, you may be able to eat ghee. Ghee is basically butter that has been boiled and skimmed to remove all of the milk solids. I make it at home, and it didn't seem to bother my stomach. I use it as a toast spread, and I cook with it sometimes. When it's avaliable, I also love to use beef tallow. It makes everything you cook or spread it on taste like hamburgers, which I absolutely love.
SO Delicious makes a ton of really awesome dairy-free products. They have a new line of coconut blended milks that are really good. I've been drinking the Coconut Almond one recently, and I really like it! They also make a product called Cocowhip, which is like a version of Coolwhip that is dairy free. If you can find a store that sells it, it's probably in sale this month since UNFI (the distributor that a lot of stores buy it from) has it in sale this month.
They also make coconut milk yogurts. I love the unsweetened one, since it doesn't have a ton of sugar in it. Just coconut milk, cultures, and some thickeners. They make a greek coconut milk yogurt too, but it has a ton of sugar added. Their ice creams are delicious too. The cashew milk flavors have the closest texture to premium real ice cream. Creamy Cashew is the best flavor.
Luna and Larry's makes really good coconut milk ice creams too. They're more "premium" than most of SO Delicious's lineup, since they're higher in calories and fat and have more mix-ins. Ben and Jerry's and Blue Bunny are both coming out with almond milk flavors later this year.
Daiya and Follow Your Heart both make good completely non-dairy cheese substitutes without soy. Go! Veggie cheese substitutes have milk casein added, so be careful with those. Daiya is my favorite cheese substitute, since their products all taste good, and they have a really big selection of products. They make a variety of shreds (that really melt!), blocks, pizzas, and cheesecakes. Their slices also make excellent grilled cheese, and their instant mac and cheese varieties are really good. The company will send you coupons if you email them and ask.
I make most of my nondairy milk at home to save money (so I can buy more ice cream!). I usually just take 2tbsp of nut butter and blend it with 4 cups of milk. Just be sure to shake your container before you pour your milk out. If you want it sweeter, you could add sugar, honey, or flavor extracts. I love how customizable it is, and I love how I don't have to deal with nut milk bags!
Enjoy Life! is a really good company that makes all sort of allergy-friendly sweets. They have delicious soft-baked cookies, and they make all sorts of non-dairy, soy-free baking chips and mixes. They taste just as good as the ones made with milk, I promise.
Garden of Life has great vegan protein powders that are soy-free. Their Smooth Plant Protein is the best variety, since it's not gritty and actually tastes really good. The vanilla flavor is great on it's own, and also mixes well into smoothies.
RX Bars are good non-dairy protein bars. They source from egg white protein, and all of them have really simple ingredient lists. They kind of taste like a slightly denser Larabar, but they're still really tasty!
I probably have a few more things that I'm forgetting about. I'll post them later.0 -
Camel milk is lactate free. Lol0
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Holland and Barrett have a range of lactose free products. I'm over in Germany and we have MinusL products which are lactose free. Not sure if they are available in UK but the website has option for English language as well. http://www.minusl.com/ maybe worth having a look for them over there? x0
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I almost envy your need to be lactose free. There seem to be more main stream like products that can be available lactose free.
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Sorting the HPAT axis could well see off all food and environmental intolerances. Endo texts.
Best of luck
THANK YOU so much this was a really helpful post! I also have hashis and had to go outside the NHS for the thyroid issues to be more sorted out.
So helpful, thank you
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