If you're lactose intolerant, you know that it can be difficult to find foods that don’t contain lactose but still taste great and are nutritional. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives for most dairy products out there. Here are six to try if you're looking to diversify your diet.
Dairy-Based Sauces Alternative
Do you ever envy your friends because they can have a good-tasting ranch? We love our salads, but we also love a good dressing on it that adds some depth of flavor besides just olive oil and vinegar. Enter Kumana! Their avocado sauces are rich and creamy, just like a good ranch sauce, but without the dairy content. In fact, it's only 5 calories per serving! Now you can drizzle these on your tacos instead of queso, and your dairy-loving friends will even want some!
Dessert Alternatives
Even though many desserts contain dairy (and therefore lactose), there are still many alternatives that you can try to satisfy your sweet tooth. For example, if you love milk chocolate, you can try rice milk chocolate or dark chocolate instead. When making chocolate chip cookies, use carob chips instead of milk chocolate chips. If you enjoy ice cream, try sherbet or sorbet as an alternative. Also, many lactose intolerant people enjoy a frozen banana, which has the same consistency and texture of ice cream. Kite Hill has a unique line of Greek-style yogurts that are dairy-free and soy-free that make for a perfect dessert option when topped with some fruit.
Cheese Alternatives
If you enjoy the taste of cheese but your lactose intolerance makes it hard to include in your diet, there are some other alternatives that are dairy-free yet still mimic the taste and texture of certain cheeses. For example, sliced tofu is similar to the taste and texture of mozzarella and provolone cheese, so it can be good on a sandwich or crackers. Crumbled yeast is good for sprinkling on foods to achieve the right texture, though the taste can be rather bland. There are also a variety of veggie cheeses that might be good alternatives for you as well. The dairy-free experts at Kite Hill have an array of cream cheese style spreads that are perfect for any sandwich or as a party dipping option.
Snack Alternatives
For daily snacks that include dairy, try these alternatives instead. Instead of yogurt, try lactose-free yogurt or coconut yogurt. Sometimes regular yogurt can be fine if you are only mildly intolerant since it doesn’t contain as much lactose as other dairy products. However, frozen yogurt is typically higher in lactose, so this should generally be avoided. Also, some white breads will contain lactose, so you can try dairy-free breads instead. Surprise, surprise! Kite Hill is at it again with some great tasting, and easily portable, dairy-free yogurt tubes that are perfect on-the-go snacks.
Milk Alternatives
The National Academy of Sciences recommends that you should be getting at least 1,000 mg of calcium every day, but this can be difficult to accomplish if you are lactose intolerant. Unfortunately, other milks that come from mammals, like goats or sheep, contain the substance as well. However, there are plenty of other milk alternatives that come from vegetables and other natural substances. For example, calcium-fortified soy milk is a great choice. However, if you don’t like the taste of soy milk, there is also almond milk, rice milk, and coconut milk. Though these kinds of milk typically don’t have natural calcium, they do have lots of vitamins and antioxidants. Ripple even has a pea-based milk alternative.
Calcium Alternatives
One of the biggest problems with being lactose intolerant is getting enough calcium in your diet. So, it's important to make sure to include plenty of calcium-rich, non-dairy foods in your daily meals. Some foods that are good for this purpose include seafood, orange juice, pinto beans, and green, leafy vegetables such as rhubarb, spinach, broccoli, and kale.
