1. Lactose-Free While Dining Out
If you find yourself in a restaurant and need a lactose-free meal without too much fuss, simply eliminate cheese and cheesy sauces, ask for oil to replace butter on baked potatoes and grilled fish, and avoid ordering milk-based beverages, such as lattes or milkshakes. A good restaurant option is a steak, a salad with oil and vinegar or house-made Italian dressing and a glass of wine or iced tea.
It will become easier for you to avoid lactose as you learn what to look for. Broiled and steamed foods served without butter are usually safe, but you can always ask if dairy products are part of the cooking process. Some restaurants even have special symbols on the menu next to dairy-free selections.
2. Cook From Scratch
Since so many packaged foods contain traces of dairy, even bread and crackers, making food from scratch makes sense if you are severely lactose intolerant. This way you can control the ingredients in everything from homemade bread to puddings to dairy-free ice cream.
Raw food and vegan cookbooks can be great sources of dairy-free recipes. You can make ice cream from dates, honey, water and fruit, and creamy soups using the water and "meat" of coconuts. You can create dairy-free nut milk by blending nuts and water, then straining the liquid into a clean container and refrigerating, just as you would cow's milk. There are any number of ways to creatively replace milk with creamy alternatives.
3. Prepare for Common Pitfalls
No meal is worth the cramping and bloating that results from lactose intolerance. Therefore, it's important that you're prepared to deal with dietary challenges. Consider your favorite foods. Do you need cream in your coffee? Carry packets of non-dairy creamer with you at all times so you'll be prepared for your coffee pick-me-up. Do you love cheeseburgers? Then save this dish to make at home with soy cheese, or find a restaurant that serves dairy-free cheese.
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