Lactose Free Diet

Lactose Free Foods

Other contributors to a low lactase activity in the digestive system are certain diseases like celiac disease or Crohn's Disease. Meanwhile, the level of lactose tolerance vary in each individual. Some people can allow minimal lactose intake in their body, while others need to avoid it altogether.

What is a Lactose Free Diet?

As the name implies, Lactose Free Diet is one that includes no lactose in your food intake. Lactose is a component of certain milk products that is difficult to break down or digest for some people. With this type of diet, all lactose products are eliminated from your diet. Therefore, you are not allowed to intake milk based products. However, there are some types of milk such as 100% lactose free milk or soy milk, which is allowed in this type of diet.

There is also another variation to this diet, which is the low-lactose diet. This one allows tolerable amounts of milk products in your diet, probably as little as two ounces. Yogurt is tolerable for some. Since different individuals react to lactose differently, the key here is determining the exact level of lactose that your body can tolerate.

Lactose Free Diet Food Choices

Just like any other diet types, a Lactose Free Diet has its own set of guidelines. The success of this diet method lies in your ability to follow closely the type of foods recommended in the diet.

Dairy Food Products

Dairy products contain no lactose, so you are allowed to eat or drink them in this type of diet. There are certain types of nutrition drinks that use soy in substitute for milk, so they are approved in this diet. Other food products in this category that are allowed includes non-dairy creamers, lactose-free milk, soy milk, and rice milk drinks.

On the other hand, there are a few dairy food products that must be avoided such as aged cheese, buttermilk, cream, condensed and evaporated milk, cheese spreads, hot chocolate mix, cultured milk drink, cottage or ricotta cheese, reduced lactose milk, sherbet, sour cream, yogurt, lactobacillus milk, among others.

Starchy Foods

The following lactose free bread types or starchy food products can be taken by people into Lactose Free diet: pasta, macaroni, breads that lack the use of milk, rice cakes, whole grain crackers, noodles, rice, potatoes, barley, and many more.

For starchy foods that you are not allowed to take, they are as follows: instant mix of mashed potatoes, biscuits or bread made out of milk, waffles using milk products, or dry cereals that require milk.

Meat & Meat Substitutes

When you purchase meat products or meat substitutes in the market, you need to be careful when choosing them since some contain lactose. The processed meat substitutes are the ones you need to be careful of.

Meat Products Without Lactose:

• Any type of fresh meat
• Peas and Beans
• Soy cheese
• Tofu products
• Peanut butter
• Nuts or Seeds

Meat Products With Lactose:

• Breaded meat products or those dipped into a batter.
• Meat dishes that contain the following: cheese, tacos, or burritos

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