Lactose Intolerant

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Hi all! I recently discovered I am lactose intolerant :sad:

Does anyone else out there suffer and struggle with this?

What tips would you give to a newbie like myself?
I understand I should cut dairy/milk products out cold turkey, but am I allowed a small bit of some? (I cannot imagine my life without ice cream!!)

Do you have any good dairy free products to recommend? I am so grateful for all the help! Please throw any tips my way!! :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • aalbert_82
    aalbert_82 Posts: 95 Member
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    So Delicious makes amazing ice cream made of coconut milk. Yogurt doesn't bother some lactose intolerant people
  • frankizoy
    frankizoy Posts: 83 Member
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    I became lactose intolerant when I was 7. i was able to eat some dairy but not milk or ice cream, i was able to eat frozen yogurt which i thought was just as good as ice cream. if i were you i would test out different foods see what you can handle, just don't eat a lot of it. also, soy milk is an ok replacement for milk but it tastes weird at first, i prefer almond milk because i think it tastes better.
  • aleggett321
    aleggett321 Posts: 186 Member
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    There are lots of products out there. They are made of everything from soy to rice to almond to tapioca and coconut as mentioned.
    Some of my favorites:
    Daiya products for cheese
    Better Than Cream Cheese and Sour Supreme by Tofutti for cream cheese and sour cream
    Rice dream for baking
    Mocha mix non dairy creamer for thicker consistency milk substitute
    Amy's and So Delicious and Purely Decadent (amazing flavors!) ice cream
    So delicious yogurt
    Most of these I can find at my regular Ralph's store (Kroger in the east). Whole foods and trader Joes have some other things too
    Good luck! I hope you find good substitutes and don't feel deprived :smile:
  • jennifries227
    jennifries227 Posts: 113 Member
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    That coconut milk ice cream is amazing. I love the chocolate flavor!
    Lactaid makes a host of lactose free dairy products, and most stores carry their own brand of lactose free milk. It's a little sweeter than normal milk, but I like the taste better than almond or soy milks.
    Breyer's makes a lactose-free ice cream, basically using Lactaid milk instead of regular. It's only available in chocolate and vanilla, though.
    Yogurt frequently doesn't bother people with lactose intolerance, but everyone is different, so you'll have to test that for yourself.
    Hard cheese (like parmesan) is naturally lower in lactose than softer cheeses like cheddar and mozzarella. I can eat parmesan cheese in reasonable quantities with no problem, but I have to be careful with other cheeses. Again, everyone is different, though!

    And finally, there are pills that can help you digest lactose easier by converting it into glucose as it's being digested. Lactaid is the name brand for these, but you can get store brand ones cheaper. I have both a bottle and individually wrapped ones I can carry in my purse for impromptu ice cream stops or whatever. They say to take 1 or 2, I've totally taken 4 before when I knew I was eating a lot of dairy. They work well for me.

    Of course, there are lots of non-dairy alternatives, too! I'm sure other people will be able to tell you more about them than me, though.
  • OriginalKatie
    OriginalKatie Posts: 119 Member
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    I have Paul's Zymil, or Liddell's Lactose Free Milk. They put Lactase enzyme in it to make it "lactose free". You can also get lactose free ice cream from Peter's, and lots of other lactose free products from Liddell's. I'm from Australia, so that's what we have here. Not sure where you're from or what you can get.
  • Mangopickle
    Mangopickle Posts: 1,509 Member
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    Kroger carbmaster skim milk, lactose free, 60 cal a cup, 11 g of protein, comes in vanilla and chocolate too!
  • csk0018
    csk0018 Posts: 219 Member
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    Breyer's makes a lactose free ice cream in vanilla and chocolate! Better than any of the soy/coconut/rice ice cream alternatives!! I've become a big fan of dark chocolate almond milk -- it's soooo delicious!! I try to cut out dairy for the most part because after a while, the suffering after indulging is just not worth it but every once in a while -- I need my cheese fries!! I keep a small stash of Lactaid chewables in my purse for those times where I REALLY want dairy or if I'm in a situation where dairy-infested food is the only option.