{"id":287,"date":"2017-05-29T07:33:06","date_gmt":"2017-05-29T07:33:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=287"},"modified":"2021-03-10T16:54:51","modified_gmt":"2021-03-10T16:54:51","slug":"21-foods-avoid-lactose-intolerant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/21-foods-avoid-lactose-intolerant\/","title":{"rendered":"21 Foods to Avoid if You Are Lactose Intolerant"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Lactose intolerance is a common condition that actually affects a large portion of the Western population. In fact, it turns out that the majority of humans are lactose intolerant \u2013 even if they aren\u2019t aware of that fact. This is because the key enzyme that the body uses in order to break down lactose \u2013 an enzyme called lactase \u2013 may actually be the result of a relatively recent mutation. Thus, many people actually lack this enzyme and therefore can\u2019t properly break down and absorb the sugars from dairy products. While we all produce lactase in our childhood, 75% of adults will see a reduction or a cessation of this production once they reach a certain age.<\/p>\n

This in itself is not a problem, but the issue comes when those sugars end up collecting in the small intestine. Here, they can then begin to curdle and create unwanted gas. This can then cause digestive complaints, stomach pain, bloating, wind and a range of other unwanted issues.<\/p>\n

The prevalence of lactose intolerance is very much modulated by race and region. In some Asian countries, a whopping 90% of the population is lactose intolerant!<\/p>\n

Lactose intolerance can vary in severity but whatever the case, those who suffer are best off trying to avoid foods that will trigger their allergy. With lactose being a big part of our Western diet though, this can be a difficult challenge. What\u2019s more is that it is very easy to forget that a lot of foods contain lactose that might not be so obvious. In this comprehensive post, we\u2019ll take a look at some of the foods you should avoid \u2013 including the obvious ones and the less-obvious ones. We\u2019ll also discuss alternative options and ways you can get around those limitations.<\/p>\n

1. \u00a0Milk<\/h3>\n

The big one! Of course, the main thing that a lactose intolerant individual needs to avoid is milk. Sometimes this may be easier said than done however, as milk is a popular ingredient in just about everything.
\nIf you are someone who enjoys pouring milk on your cereal, or even just drinking milk from a glass, then this is something you will of course have to stop! What can you do instead? One option is to drink soy milk. This is milk made from soy beans, therefore meaning there is no dairy<\/a> and no lactose involved.<\/p>\n

\"\"2. \u00a0Milkshake<\/h3>\n

One of the best ways to enjoy milk<\/a> is as part of a milkshake. If you are partial to a milkshake from McDonalds or enjoying one after your meals at home, then you\u2019re going to have to put an end to that.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are many other ways you can enjoy a creamy drink that won\u2019t include lactose. One option is to drink a smoothie, using something slightly fatty as the base.<\/p>\n

A good example would be avocado which makes for a smooth, creamy and highly nutritious drink!<\/p>\n

\"\"3. \u00a0Butter<\/h3>\n

Butter is another ingredient that is off the cards when it comes to the truly lactose intolerant. This means you can\u2019t spread it on your toast<\/a>, in which case you might want to consider using something else such as goose fat \u2013 which can be just as delicious if not moreso!<\/p>\n

Also, important to remember though, is that butter is an ingredient used in a lot of dishes. If you enjoy baking then you\u2019ll find that this is often used.<\/p>\n

The good news is that you have to be highly lactose intolerant for this to be a problem \u2013 most people will be able to enjoy baked goods without much problem. If you are very sensitive though, this might be the cause.<\/p>\n

\"\"4. \u00a0Cheese<\/h3>\n

This has to be one of the hardest foods for many lactose intolerant individuals to pass up! Cheese is of course made from dairy and this means that it too is off the cards.<\/p>\n

This means you can\u2019t use cheese grated on top of your food, it also means that you can\u2019t have cream cheese<\/a> or anything that has got a cheesy flavor.<\/p>\n

Just make sure that hosts are aware of this before they lay out a cheese board for you for dessert!<\/p>\n

\"\"5. \u00a0Ice cream<\/h3>\n

Another difficult one to pass up is ice cream. Ice cream is again made from dairy products \u2013 it is literally frozen cream! Then again, there are actually plenty of options you can use to get around this problem.<\/p>\n

For example, you can make hand-made gelato that will avoid using any dairy products and have more of a sweet, sorbet<\/a> flavor.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, why not take some fruit juice and freeze it to create an ice lolly? This has the same refreshing effect but without the included cream!<\/p>\n

\"\"6. \u00a0Sherbet<\/h3>\n

You might not have known this, but sherbet<\/a> is made from dairy. This isn\u2019t something that many people will have a hard time avoiding as while it\u2019s nice, it\u2019s not all that common and it\u2019s certainly not a staple for most people!<\/p>\n

Just make sure you\u2019re aware of this fact and choose something else when you\u2019re picking up sweets from the store!<\/p>\n

\"\"7. \u00a0Coffee<\/h3>\n

Coffee is fine if you drink it black. But be careful of any of those more inventive varieties that you find in cafes that include lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos and the like.<\/p>\n

All of these include copious amounts of milk and cream that is whipped and frothed up. The solution of course is either to drink your coffee black, or just to use soy milk or another alternative.<\/p>\n

You can actually stick all kinds of things in your coffee<\/a> to give it a slightly less bitter and more creamy flavor and this doesn\u2019t have to involve dairy. Get inventive and you might enjoy some health benefits too!<\/p>\n

\"\"8. \u00a0Tea<\/h3>\n

Like coffee, tea often comes with milk and that means you\u2019re going to have to alert hosts at parties before they go and get you yours. Also like coffee, tea is a great pick-me-up that can wake you up and make you more alert.<\/p>\n

Thus, you will want to ensure there is some way you can get your caffeine fix! One option is to drink black tea or ice tea. Again, you can also have your tea with goats milk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The problem is that many of these things won\u2019t be an option when you\u2019re out and about or when you\u2019re visiting friends. If you want to go European then, you could try having some lemon and sugar in your tea instead for a refreshing beverage!<\/p>\n

\"\"9. \u00a0Some pasta dishes<\/h3>\n

I am guilty of this: when cooking bolognaise I will often pour a good amount of milk in. It gives the pasta a creamier and lighter texture and it brings out the flavor to make it richer. Of course, other pastas have even more cream in them: these include the likes of carbonara<\/a> and various salmon-based dishes.<\/p>\n

The key here is simply to make sure that whatever you order in restaurants does not have added milk or cream.<\/p>\n

When cooking at home, there are lots of ways to get around this. Actually, the original pasta recipe is simply pasta with bacon and an egg cracked on top!<\/p>\n

\"\"10. \u00a0Custard<\/h3>\n

Custard is another surprise source of dairy. You\u2019ve ordered your delicious pudding and you\u2019ve been careful to choose something with no ice cream and nothing else that can upset your allergy.<\/p>\n

And then the restaurant goes and pours on a huge dollop of custard<\/a>, rather ruining your evening! Or at least the night when you get home.<\/p>\n

Again, the key is to speak with the waiting staff before you order to make certain that there is no added custard. Cream will often be added too, so just let them know you\u2019re happy to eat it as is.<\/p>\n

\"\"11. \u00a0Creamy soup<\/h3>\n

Just like a pasta dish, cream can often be added to a soup in order to improve the consistency and to make the flavor a little richer. Don\u2019t be caught out!<\/p>\n

Always make sure that the soup you\u2019re eating doesn\u2019t include cream and while it might sound obvious, that means avoiding things that say \u2018cream of\u2019. Chicken and tomato soups are particularly common culprits here, so why not try something that you know is going to be okay? That might be a minestrone for example which doesn\u2019t really lend itself to added cream.<\/p>\n

Note that a fair amount of soups also include cheese<\/a> as well, which you also of course need to avoid. In particular, you need to stay away from any soups with stilton, such as stilton and broccoli!<\/p>\n

\"\"12. \u00a0Whipped cream<\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s another thing to watch out for. Cream<\/a> in all its forms is bad, so if you find your food has whipped cream sprayed on it, you will have to leave it or suffer the consequences!<\/p>\n

Again, this is an example where a lot of restaurants will tend to take liberties. You order some cake with strawberries and then it arrives with whipped cream sprayed on top! Again, this is a matter of speaking with the waiters to ask them to pass your concerns on to the chef before they dish up.<\/p>\n

Another tip is to try and find somewhere that you know won\u2019t be guilty of these things. Once you\u2019ve found a place you can trust and where the chef knows you, you can order away and not worry about added flavors that might ruin your stomach!<\/p>\n

\"\"13. \u00a0Cottage cheese<\/h3>\n

Cottage cheese is another type of cheese and so of course it\u2019s going to be off limits.<\/p>\n

This is a problem if you like cooking but it\u2019s also a problem if you were hoping to rely on it as a healthy and potent source of protein as many people do! If your weight lifting friends are all eating cottage cheese<\/a> as an easy way to spoon in the protein, what can you do instead?<\/p>\n

A good option is actually peanut butter. Despite the name, true peanut butter contains zero butter and is actually just peanuts with added oils. You can eat this as a great way to increase your protein intake and it\u2019s overall actually very healthy!<\/p>\n

\"\"14. \u00a0Protein shake<\/h3>\n

Speaking of sources of protein, many bodybuilders will of course also rely on protein shake thanks to its convenience, affordability and high bioavailability.<\/p>\n

But most protein shake is made from whey, which in turn is an extract from milk, meaning that you can\u2019t eat it without worrying about bloating and gas! Luckily, there are multiple different kinds of protein shake<\/a> but be warned: the second most popular type is also a source of lactose. That second most popular type is \u2018casein\u2019, another milk extract!<\/p>\n

So if you want to enjoy a convenient source of protein and fit in with your weight lifting buddies, the types of protein shake to look for are egg protein or soy protein. You can guess how those are made respectively!<\/p>\n

\"\"15. \u00a0Some breads and baked goods<\/h3>\n

We touched on this earlier, but both butter and milk are common ingredients in a ton of different baked goods. That includes breads but also things like cupcakes, muffins<\/a>, cakes and all sorts of other items.<\/p>\n

This is bad news if you\u2019re someone who loves bread or loves pudding. What can you do in that case to find alternatives to using those ingredients. These include vegetable shortening which can very often be swapped out in place of butter (use the same quantity as you normally would) or certain oils. Soy milk is another option of course.<\/p>\n

In fact, baking while avoiding certain ingredients only increases the challenge and this can be a lot of fun!<\/p>\n

\"\"16. \u00a0Margarine<\/h3>\n

If you thought that margarine was a safe alternative to butter then think again: often you\u2019ll still be consuming dairy.<\/p>\n

If you are looking for something you can eat every day that will work just like butter and be spread neatly on your bread, then you can just do some research online to make absolutely sure that your alternative is lactose<\/a> free.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve found your substitute, you can then just forget all about it \u2013 until you order a sandwich in a shop of course, or visit a friend\u2019s house!<\/p>\n

\"\"17. \u00a0Organ meats<\/h3>\n

Again, this is unlikely to affect a lot of people but if you are highly sensitive then you might actually find that certain organ meats<\/a> like liver can set you off.<\/p>\n

These foods might contain small quantities of lactose from the animal\u2019s own diet, which then acts like a trojan horse to affect your own.<\/p>\n

Be careful when consuming these meats. You\u2019ll probably be fine, but if you notice a stomach upset\u2026 well then you have a potential culprit!<\/p>\n

\"\"18. \u00a0Certain candies<\/h3>\n

Milk, butter and all sorts of other things can be used in a lot of candies. Heck, some Haribo sweets are even shaped like milk bottles and actually called \u2018milk bottles\u2019.<\/p>\n

Often it\u2019s these slightly creamier-tasting sweets that are most likely to contain milk<\/a> but don\u2019t assume that other kinds are necessarily safe: you\u2019d be surprised to learn just how many candies include something like this!<\/p>\n

\"\"19. \u00a0Yogurt<\/h3>\n

Yogurt is of course also off the cards, as this is essentially just gone-off milk. This is a shame because yogurt<\/a> can provide a whole host of different health benefits by providing you with healthy cultures of friendly bacteria.<\/p>\n

These line the gut and aid with digestion, as well as the production of important neurotransmitters and more.<\/p>\n

Your best option is to get the same benefits from fermented foods or pickled foods.<\/p>\n

\"\"20. \u00a0Kefir<\/h3>\n

Kefir is like yogurt but it\u2019s a little more sour and a little more liquid. It\u2019s all the rage with hipsters at the moment thanks to its unique flavor and its similar health benefits.<\/p>\n

Again, you can look to get similar benefits from sauerkraut<\/a> or pickled gherkins and just make sure that when the guy with the long beard asks if you\u2019d like to try his kefir drink, you say no thanks!<\/p>\n

\"\"21. \u00a0Chocolate<\/h3>\n

Finally, one of the most upsetting issues of all is that chocolate will very often include large amounts of milk<\/a>. This is \u2018dairy\u2019 or \u2018milk chocolate\u2019 after all, which should be the main giveaway. That of course means that chocolate cakes, chocolate bars, chocolate chip cookies and more are all off the cards.<\/p>\n

The solution might well be to eat specially formulated lactose-free chocolate. You could also make the decision to eat only dark chocolate.<\/p>\n

Do note however that this will still often include some milk. If it\u2019s \u201870%\u2019 for example, that means that it is 70% dark and probably still has some milk. This all depends on just how severe your sensitivity is!<\/p>\n\r\n

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