Lactose Free eating. HELP

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So I'm Lactose Intolerant..like really intolerant. I can handle a very small amount like tablespoon of kraft parmesean cheese or any other hard cheese maybe once a week, but any more I get uncomfortable. I'm having a very hard time working on getting "yummy" foods into my diet and especially getting enough Calcium.I'm hoping someone else has been in my shoes and can help me with some diets that don't include any lactose. I am to the point where I can't even handle yogurt, yup yogurt. I have the cookbook, lactose cooking for dummies but I'm not seeing a ton that looks interesting. Please help.
Thanks!

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  • rjlam
    rjlam Posts: 149
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    Hi

    My sister has an allergy to dairy products and she substitutes the dairy with either rice, soy or almonds drinks and as well as goat milk. Depending where you live, it should be readly avaiable in most grocery stores. Hope this helps.
  • catgoodey
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    try internet searching for elimination diets/ exclusion diets. these cut out whole food groups to help people with intolerances. i'm gluten intolerant and i've found certain products that are based on other foods and available in the shops too. again try protein that is non dairy but can be yummy, for instance i love breaded spicy chicken like KFC but it's a no no for me so i make a spicy chilli chicken stir fry and rice with simple ingredients ( i don't have time for fussy cooking!) so it has no dairy, no gluten, no wheat. simple cooking is best and less prepared stuff as they often add milk products to them to make them 'tasty'. if i can make a non-gluten brownie that tastes good i'm sure there's a recipe out there for a non dairy one!
  • Cudders
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    Are there no lactose-free dairy products where you live? They are on the market in the UK and other countries, usually have to go to a bigger store to get them in the UK though. I'm lactose intolerant to a lesser degree so I can do yoghurt and cheese, but have soya milk instead. It may take a bit to get used to soya milk but you'll soon remember nothing else! There are also soya yoghurts and cheese which are not bad at all. There are lots of options out there.
  • Meggie_pooh
    Meggie_pooh Posts: 316 Member
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    I too, am lactose intolerant. Lactaid is 100% LActose free and u can cook with it...That's what I make my chowders with. If u feel like u aren't getting enuff calcium, most fruit juices have loads of calcium, especially OJ! I punish myself sometimes tho....I still have ice cream every now and then, and then pay for it for the rest of the night! My daughter is also Lactose Intolerant as well, which makes it very interesting some nights to make dinner. I have a very picky 2 yr old!!!
  • Hendrixpno
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    I've been lactose free for quite some time, and don't even notice it anymore!!

    Some options:

    *Lactaid milk is available at pretty much any grocery store, right next to the regular milk. Its just milk, but they've adjusted the enzymes so you can digest it without getting sick. There are a couple of other brands, too, but I've just stuck to Lactaid. I am now vegan, so I don't use this anymore, and have come to love Almond milks and Coconut milks even more.
    *Kraft Naturals cheeses are all lactose free. They'll be with all the other Kraft cheeses, almost the same packaging and everything, but they are labeled "Kraft Natural." They usually have bricks and shredded in a variety of flavors.
    *If you're craving certain things like cream cheese or sour cream, Tofutti makes non-dairy (vegan) versions of both. For these you probably would need to go to a specialty natural foods store, or Whole Foods if there's one near you.
    *Soy Yogurt: Tastes a bit different, but its still pretty satisfying.
    *Kefir: Try it out. I found that even when everything dairy bothered me, this didn't, really. If you can find a shop or store with frozen kefir, it definitely fulfills the ice cream need.
    *So Delicious 'ice cream' products: coconut-based and truly, soooo good. The So Delicious mini ice cream sandwiches are great, and my favorite 'ice cream' is the So Delicious Cherry Amaretto. I've found that the coconut-based products taste way, way better than the soy ones. The texture is still creamy and thick in the coconut.

    I think those few substitutes are the easiest way to transition away from dairy without changing your whole life! Mostly, I just had to start making more things for myself. Bit harder to eat out cheesy things, but just save the cheesy things for home!

    Also, my doctor recommended I take Calcium + Vitamin D supplements. The Viactiv chews are not too pricey, and you can find them at any Walgreens-type store. You just take one or two a day (I usually do breakfast and dinner), they're only 20 calories a piece, and they get what you need.

    Hope that helps! (Sorry I was so long-winded!)