By Sharon Natoli, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Director of Food & Nutrition Australia
If you have trouble digesting milk and have confirmed that lactose is the culprit, it can be tempting to eliminate milk and other dairy foods altogether. As dairy foods are a natural source of protein and provide a broad range of vitamins and minerals essential for good health, the Australian dietary guidelines1 recommend 2-3 serves of dairy foods daily, where a serve is equal to:
- 250ml milk
- 200g yoghurt
- 40g cheese.
Here are a couple of tips to help you meet the recommended 2-3 serves of dairy foods everyday while keeping your intake of lactose down:
1. Test your tolerance level
People who have trouble digesting lactose can often tolerate small amounts of lactose in their diet such as a small glass of milk, however need to avoid larger intakes2. Test your tolerance level by consuming small amounts of regular milk with meals and monitoring how you feel.
2. Include lactose-free milks and yoghurts
Lactose free milks and yoghurts are widely available for example, Pauls Zymil or Vaalia Lactose Free Yoghurt. These are simply milks and yoghurts to which the natural enzyme lactase has been added, so it becomes lactose-free. Try lactose-free milk:
- on its own as a drink
- on top of your cereal
- in a fruit smoothie or milkshake
- to make a white sauce that can be added to vegetables, as a topping on grilled or baked fish or on top of pasta bakes or lasagne
- to make dairy based desserts.
For more information on lactose intolerance visit:
- www.gutnsw.edu.au
- www.zymil.com.au for delicious lactose-free recipes
- www.daa.asn.au to find an Accredited Practising Dietitian
1. National Health and Medical Research Council, Food for Health – Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults. 2003, Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing: Canberra.
2. Suarez, F.L., et al., Lactose maldigestion is not an impediment to the intake of 1500 mg calcium daily as dairy products. Am J Clin Nutr, 1998. 68(5): p. 1118-22.
