Lactose intolerant options?

effieolsen
effieolsen Posts: 11 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've never been properly tested for lactose intolerance but I've become increasingly suspicious that I might be. I have extreme gas and bloating whenever I eat dairy products and I get rashes on my skin when I drink milk. I always have some type of abdominal pain and constipation. So I'm going to try excluding dairy from my diet for 2-3 weeks to see if that helps.

The problem is that I get the majority of my protein from dairy products as I don't eat much meat. I've searched online but I can't find anything close to what I'm looking for. Do you guys know of any high protein, low sugar dairy free yogurts, milks, protein drinks, etc.? Anything that's a good alternative to dairy that is high in protein and not soy because I've heard that soy messes with hormones and I already have enough hormonal imbalances as is.

Thanks!

Replies

  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,594 Member
    If the problem is really lactose intolerance, you should be okay with yoghurt and many types of cheese. The bacteria that has made the yoghurt or cheese has already digested the lactose.

    If you don't have a problem with gluten my favourite vegan meat substitute is seitan because it is so easy to use. Probably cheapest in an asian supermarket where it is sold in tins and likely known as "buddhist mock duck" or "buddhist mock chicken". It can replace meat in any asian stir fry.

    Here is an example of how to use seitan in a stir fry recipe.
    https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-mongolian-beef/
  • asthesoapturns
    asthesoapturns Posts: 313 Member
    There are tons of lactose free products out there, from milk, to sour cream, to cheese. They operate the same way as regular dairy because they are except they have lactase added. You can take lactase pills but for me the additives in the pill were a bad trigger so I've stuck to lactose free. It all cooks and bakes the same.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited March 2020
    If you're in the US, Ripple milk is made from peas so it's higher protein than most plant milks. I believe it is soy-free, but you'll want to double-check the label.

    (It doesn't taste anything like peas, by the way).

  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited March 2020
    You really might want to research the soy issue more if that's not based on an actual recommendation from your personal MD to avoid soy, as a lot of the stuff out about soy is garbage. I don't drink milk, and if I want a milk substitute that has some protein (as I do now), I tend to use soymilk. The only other milk substitute with any meaningful protein would be pea-based milk (as Jane said). I know there are cashew milks and the like supplemented with protein powder, but it's likely whey (I think whey should be or can be lactose free, but dairy issues aren't always lactose so you might want to avoid those too).

    Another option would be to use any of the milk subs you like plus a non whey protein powder. I've not tried an egg based one, but it might be a good choice. I have used pea protein and hemp protein, but only in things where there are many other ingredients, like smoothies. I don't think I would enjoy them in something like oatmeal.

    The only non dairy yogurts I've seen with reasonable protein are also soy.

    Other good non meat, non dairy sources of protein are: eggs (supplement with egg whites for more protein per cal), beans and lentils (but I wouldn't increase use dramatically but only over time as they have so much fiber), and as suggested above, seitan (and then, of course, tofu and tempeh, but they are soy).
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited March 2020
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    You really might want to research the soy issue more if that's not based on an actual recommendation from your personal MD to avoid soy, as a lot of the stuff out about soy is garbage. I don't drink milk, and if I want a milk substitute that has some protein (as I do now), I tend to use soymilk. The only other milk substitute with any meaningful protein would be pea-based milk (as Jane said). I know there are cashew milks and the like supplemented with protein powder, but it's likely whey (I think whey should be or can be lactose free, but dairy issues aren't always lactose so you might want to avoid those too).

    Another option would be to use any of the milk subs you like plus a non whey protein powder. I've not tried an egg based one, but it might be a good choice. I have used pea protein and hemp protein, but only in things where there are many other ingredients, like smoothies. I don't think I would enjoy them in something like oatmeal.

    The only non dairy yogurts I've seen with reasonable protein are also soy.

    Other good non meat, non dairy sources of protein are: eggs (supplement with egg whites for more protein per cal), beans and lentils (but I wouldn't increase use dramatically but only over time as they have so much fiber), and as suggested above, seitan (and then, of course, tofu and tempeh, but they are soy).

    Silk Protein milks are whey-free (it's a mix of almond and cashew milk with pea protein), but I would always check the label for other brands because I have seen plant milks supplemented with whey protein. The Silk Protein line includes unsweetened milks for those who want to minimize sugar (I can't remember if Ripple has unsweetened options, but I think they do).
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    Skyr is tasty and lactose-free.

    There's also other animal dairy (easiest to get is goat-related). Made the switch last summer and noticed, amongst other benefits, less gas and bloating.

    You'll want to chat with a nutritionist, dermatologist and/or internist (umm, via telehealth now I guess 🤷🏿‍♀️) for alternatives appropriate for you and your goals.

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