I am lactose intolerant, I will not tolerate lactose! (Jerry Seinfeld came up with that)

Really though, if I drink milk, eat butter, have some ice cream, or even use some "non-dairy" creamers in my coffee - I will get sick. This has just come about over the past year, so it is really weird. I've been drinking milk, eating yogurt, chowing down on cheese, etc my whole life!

I'll share my tips and I hope ya'll share your tips as well.

1. Read the label. Non-dairy does not mean that there is no lactose. Some coffee creamers are guilty of this one. Especially the cheap ones.

2. Thank the Jewish community! If a product is Kosher and Pareve, then it is milk / dairy / lactose free! If it is Kosher, but has milk in it then it will have a "D" beside the Kosher mark. Some lactose free stuff does have dairy in it (some Kraft shredded cheeses, for example, are lactose free), so if you use this rule of thumb you will only err on the side of caution.

3. Lactaid tablets. If I take 2 Lactaid Ultra than I can have a small bowl of ice cream or a caramel macchiatto from Starbucks. I also try and take 2 before I eat out or eat something that *may* have milk in it. Milk is in everything. For example, every birth control pill on the market has milk in it. Most vitamins and other supplements do, too. I get "vegan" vitamins and supplements.

4. Vegans are great! Look for "vegan" frozen dinners and other products. Amy's Organics makes some really good stuff. Yeah, it is meat free, but it is also lactose free, so I am all about it. Don't fear the tofu. It is really pretty tasty if prepared correctly.

5. Soy ain't bad. Of the milk alternatives, I drink soy, almond, and rice milk. I like rice milk the best, but it is expensive. There is also milk that is lactose free (Land-O-Lakes makes some and Lactaid makes some, too). It is good...but it has a slightly weird taste to it. Almost like aspirin? I don't know what it is, but as long as I am not drinking it plain it is ok.

6. What that candy bar... milk chocolate has... MILK in it! But dark chocolate seems to agree with me ok. Cheetos have milk in them. Many granola bars and breakfast cookies have lactose in there. Some foods don't have milk, but they do have lactose! So again, read the label.

That is all I can think of off the top of my head... what about you?

Lactaid - Lactase Enzyme Supplement

It does the trick. I have not had milk for eight years so when I tried the Lactaid milk I thought it was ok. Hard cheeses are easy for me to digest-soft cheeses and cream are almost impossible even with the lactaid.

If you dont use it how do you eat out?

I love the Lactaid. The Lactaid Ultra are the best. If I take two then I can eat just about anything. I try and take two when I go out to eat. If I forget them, I can usually find something on the menu to eat.

Italian - spaghetti and meatballs
Chinese - rice and steamed veggies
American - grilled chicken tenders (or fish) and fries
Mexican - Paella, (a Spanish dish with a nice, complex flavor and lots of veggies with tasty rice). Or soft chicken tacos without cheese and then I eat the chips and salsa, too. Luckily - margaritas have zero lactose!

I think the Lactaid Milk (and Land0Lakes) may taste funny to me because I've gotten used to soy and rice milk and they are both very sweet. I may have to do a little "side by side" taste test next time I have to take a couple of Lactaid pills!

What do you miss eating the most? What is one of your milkless favorite things to eat?

I miss milkshakes from Sonic and I love Soy Chai Tea Lattes from Starbucks!

Hey TSC, I'm with you, girl.
I am not lactose intolerant, I am flat out ALLERGIC to milk. So my dietary habits are interesting, to say the least.
I love cheeseless pizza, just marinara sauce piled high with veggies.
I eat a lot of chicken, fish and salads. There are some things that I say "the h3ll with it" for, like the occasional Cheetos or cookie.

I also have an allergy to Coconut (which is a weird one), and you would be surprised how many different foods have Coconut Oil in them.

Missing Bama - do you put water in your cereal? I had a friend in college who was allergic to milk and she did that! It freaked me out!

Funny that you are allergic to milk and coconut, I love coconut milk!

FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS MEETING!
NOVEMBER 6TH, 2007 at 6:30pm
F.A.I.T.H. is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping those affected by severe food allergies. We are here for support, information and educating the public about food allergies. The group was started because of my 3yr old daughter who suffers from severe food allergies. Anyone with a food allergy or food allergic child is welcome to come. Also friends, family, teachers or anyone else interested in making our area a safer place for our food allergic children.
Thank you Heather Garner Food Allergy Information & Training Helper (256)412-0680 www.foodallergyfaith.org

whats the matter with lactose?