Lactose intolerance is a common condition that prevents certain people from digesting lactose, a protein found in milk and milk products like cheese, butter and yogurt. While lactose intolerance is easily managed by removing lactose from the diet, growing children who are not consuming dairy products need to obtain calcium from other food sources.
Calcium-Rich Foods
According to GrowingKids.co.uk, children on a lactose-free diet still need dietary sources of calcium. Foods such as green vegetables, salmon and sardines are high in calcium, as are many non-dairy substitutes like soy milk, tofu, tempeh and miso. You can also ask your child's physician about providing calcium supplements in the form of calcium pills or as part of your child's multivitamin.
Dairy Substitutes
Children who are lactose intolerant will show symptoms upon ingesting cow's milk. Some may react to goat's or sheep's milk or products made from it as well, according to Lactoseintolerant.org. Luckily, a wide variety of replacement products are available. Dairy milk can be replaced by soy, almond or rice milk, while cheese may be replaced by a soy-based substitute. If replacing butter with margarine, read the package carefully to verify that the margarine does not contain any milk or milk products such as whey.
Baked Goods
To prevent your child from accidentally ingesting lactose, steer clear of all unmarked baked goods such as bread, cakes and cookies. These may contain milk, butter or another product with lactose in it. Read the labels on baked goods carefully to avoid milk, butter, whey and similar dairy products. According to Lactoseintolerance.org, many recipes for baked goods can be made dairy-free by replacing dairy products with lactose-free replacements or by omitting them altogether.
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