Help for someone that's lactose intolerant!

If you know what causes you trouble, just don't eat that. Everything else is cool.

Lactose issues aren't all that limiting. Cut the dairy that bothers you and problem solved.

You could try the soy or coconut milk yogurt.

I'm not lactose intolerant but my husband is and I do all our cooking. You can actually eat quite a bit of cheese still. Most cheddars are lactose free. Check the Cabot brand if you can find it. Most of their cheese actually says 0g of lactose on the back and don't list milk as an allergen. If you want to stay plant based there is a cheese called veggie slices that actually melt beautifully. I like the jalapeno cheddar kind.

For Milk, I do coconut milk since I'm allergic to almonds but I used to be a big fan of the vanilla, unsweetened almond milk. There are several lactose free brands of various foods. Lactaid does milk, yogurt, cottage cheese. Tofutti does cream cheese and icecream novelties.

I also second Earth Balance for your butter or you could just go to the Indian market and pick up a jar of ghee. Ghee is basically clarified butter with the milk solids removed (it has no casein or lactose). I like ghee because it has a very high smoke point so you can use it when cooking at high temperatures, unlike the earth balance which burns.

ALovelyChange wrote: »

I'm lactose intolerant as well. I only ever have milk unless its in my tea or coffee. And I do not use any substitutions either... although I'm not sure if this is effecting my health in any way.
However, I read an article years ago that made sense to me at the time... I'm still questioning it. We're the only species as adults that consume milk. Thoughts?
And I've been told by a doctor that we can get plenty of calcium through spinach.... is this true?

The majority of people on the planet don't consume milk as adults, either.

Spinach has a lot of calcium in there, but we don't actually absorb much of it. If you need to increase your calcium, ask for a referral to a dietitian and they can help you figure out how to get more from your foods.

Silk Chocolate Soy Milk when I need milk. Has the best macro ratio - and by that I mean protein.

Otherwise a deficit is your friend.

I have heard of some people who are lactose intolerant who are able to have raw milk and raw cheese. The good digestive enzymes in the milk products are not cooked out of the raw milk so it isn't trouble to digest. If you are ever feeling bold try and see if you are able.

flegs2345 wrote: »

I'm lactose.

Lactose-free milk is real milk, with the lactase enzyme added to break down the lactose sugars your body can't before it even reaches your gut. It doesn't taste any different from regular milk. A number of brands make it, but I've only been able to find one that makes it in larger than half-gallon cartons (Lucerne). Other brands include Lactaid, Lucerne, and Land'o'Lakes (Dairy Ease).

You'll need to find out how much lactose bothers you. This differs for everyone and is why some people are able to eat ice cream, iced coffees, or certain cheeses and be ok. I can do a little whipped cream on my coffees, but ice cream is totally out (unless I'll be spending the rest of the day alone and have no plans)! For the most part, the harder or older the cheese, the less lactose there is. Steamed milk in HOT lattes/cappuccinos is fine as the steaming process breaks down lactose for you. Greek yogurt is also fine because the bacteria break down the lactose (same reason aged cheese is ok).

Also, it is important to understand the difference between allergy and intolerance. In a dairy allergy, your body attacks the proteins of milk and causes systemic reactions (GI tract, skin, anaphylaxis). In lactose intolerance, your GI tract no longer produces the enzyme lactase which is necessary for breaking down lactose into simpler sugars, and the bacteria in your gut instead ferment the sugar and produce gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Eating lots of food with lactose or having a GI bug can temporarily deplete your body's supply of lactase, and as we get older our bodies produce less lactase.

It's a bit sweeter than regular milk. (I actually like it better.) My wife describes it as being like the milk you have left in a cereal bowl after eating sugary kids cereal.

My husband said he thought it tasted sweeter too, but ounce for ounce it's nutritionally the same. No added sugar. I figure it's all in his head. It took forever for him to be ok drinking it. He called it "fake milk" for the longest time. Now he drinks it more than I do.

Like Iwillgetcrowsomeday said:
Figure out how much really hurts you. Most lactose intolerant people can at least digest a small amount of lactose. I used to be able to eat a small amount of cheese before it bothered me. My body seems to have stoped the production of lactase almost completely which is super annoying.
Since lactose free products exist: So there. I have no idea how much things cost in your supermarkets, in my country special milks like lactose free and the ones made from plants (soy and diverse nuts) cots usually more than 'usual' milk.
Also an option: Lactase tablets when you're eating out somewhere. You should be able to get them at the pharmacy or drug store. You can't overdose lactase so it's save to take a larger amount if you're unsure how much lactose could be in the dish you're eating (they're taken before you're eating).

On calcium: Broccoli! Broccoli has a lot of health benefits anyway so eat that as your side dish whenever you can.

yogicarl wrote: »

go vegan; end of problem.

"My finger hurts!"

"Cut off your hand, end of problem"

iWillGetCrowSomeday wrote: »

It's a bit sweeter than regular milk. (I actually like it better.) My wife describes it as being like the milk you have left in a cereal bowl after eating sugary kids cereal.

My husband said he thought it tasted sweeter too, but ounce for ounce it's nutritionally the same. No added sugar. I figure it's all in his head. It took forever for him to be ok drinking it. He called it "fake milk" for the longest time. Now he drinks it more than I do.

Yep, it's sweeter. I smiled when I read this because I mentioned that in an LI thread a few months ago and another poster got a bit riled up insisting that it wasn't sweeter. That high protein Fairlife milk that is now out is lactose free but isn't sweet. I usually drink non-homogenized milk because it doesn't taste sweet and it doesn't cause me problems but the Fairlife stuff is nearly the same price per ounce so I sometimes get that instead if I can't get to the right place for non-homogenized.