Spring 2007 Bonus

Creamy and delicious lactose-free chowder
Potato Corn Chowder

The Lowdown on Lactose Intolerance

Suffering from lactose intolerance? It is not an “all or nothing” condition. Each individual’s tolerance for milk and milk products is different, so it often takes some “trial and error” to determine which products and how much of them you can handle.

Here are more tips to help you monitor your diet and control this disorder:

SHOPPING

  • • Other processed and prepared foods that may contain lactose include bread, baked goods, candy, cookies, breakfast drinks, chocolate drink mixes, sauces and gravies, frosting, frozen dinners, pancake and biscuit mixes, coffee creamer and snack foods.
  • • These ingredients, often found on nutritional labels, contain no lactose or just a trace amount: casein, lactate, lactic acid, lactalbumin (lactoglubulin) and lactylates.
  • • Check out kosher foods that are labeled “parve” or “pareve,” which means they are milk-free.
  • • In addition to yogurt and aged cheeses, some people can tolerate buttermilk. Like yogurt, buttermilk is made with active cultures.
  • • Some prescription and over-the-counter medications may contain lactose. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before buying.

COOKING & DINING

  • • Usually, you can make substitutions in recipes measure for measure (1 cup soy milk for 1 cup regular milk, 1 ounce soy cream cheese or 1 ounce regular cream cheese).
  • • Eat smaller servings of lactose-containing foods throughout the day. Instead of an 8-ounce glass of milk for breakfast, drink 1/3 cup three times during the day.
  • • Dairy products made with whole milk, like ice cream and pudding, may be easier to digest. Make sure you round out your daily diet with lower-fat foods to balance these higher-fat choices.
  • • To aid digestion, ask your doctor about taking over-the-counter lactase enzyme caplets before eating or adding lactase enzyme drops to milk.
  • • When eating out, be sure to ask your server if dishes are made with butter, milk or cheese. Ask for dry toast instead of buttered, egg substitute instead of eggs and salads without cheese or creamy dressings.

RESOURCES

For more information, check out these Web sites:

American Dietetic Association
www.eatright.org

International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
www.iffgd.org

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
www2.niddk.nih.gov/

LACTOSE-FREE FOOD BRANDS

Here are some of the brand names to look for when buying lactose-free products and milk alternatives:

  • • Lactaid – lactose-free milk
  • • Rice Dream — milk substitute, frozen desserts
  • • Soy Dream — milk substitute, frozen desserts
  • • Westsoy – soy milk
  • • Tofutti — sour cream, cream cheese, non-dairy desserts
  • • Amy’s Kitchen — labels its products “dairy-free,” “non-dairy” or “vegan” if they contain no lactose or milk proteins.