People who are lactose intolerant have trouble digesting the sugar found in milk and other dairy products. Symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, gas and diarrhea within 30 minutes to 2 hours of ingesting lactose-containing foods. Severity of symptoms depends on the person, but creating menus without any lactose can prevent any symptoms from occurring.
Considerations
Without dairy products, you may be deficient in calcium. Calcium is essential to strong bones, but also has other important functions. Calcium assists in muscle and blood vessel contraction, hormone secretion and a healthy nervous system. Menus for people with lactose in tolerance should include plenty of calcium-containing foods such as canned fish with bones, dark leafy greens and calcium-enriched soy milk and orange juice.
Breakfasts
Breakfasts for those with lactose intolerance can include many traditional breakfast foods. Have eggs with bacon, whole wheat toast and orange juice. Spread your toast with peanut butter instead of butter. Alternatively, you can have oatmeal with dried fruit, almonds and soy milk or a whole wheat bagel with almond butter and banana slices. Create fruit smoothies with soy milk for a quick breakfast option.
Lunches
At lunch, enjoy sandwiches made with deli meat, hummus or nut butter. Have with baked chips, pretzels or cut-up vegetables. Enjoy an oatmeal cookie, graham crackers of a piece of fruit for dessert. For a calcium-rich option, make a salad using canned salmon, lemon juice, capers and celery; eat it in a pita or over mixed leafy greens with shredded carrot and halved grape tomatoes. Large salads made with baby spinach, sesame seeds, chopped red bell pepper and oranges with salmon or chicken also provide some calcium.
Dinners
Grilled or roasted meats with a whole grain and steamed vegetables makes a lactose-free dinner. Choose broccoli, kale or spinach to include some calcium in your dinner. Eat starchy vegetables, such as sweet potatoes or peas in lieu of whole grains if you prefer. Season your vegetables with citrus or fresh herbs instead of butter and sour cream. Tacos made with ½ cup pinto beans, avocado, salsa and corn tortillas contains 40 mg of calcium, without any lactose. Whole grain pasta with marinara sauce, broth-based soups and stews with egg noodles or plain hamburgers with baked fries are other lactose-free dinner menus.
