Primary Care

Purpose

This diet is designed to provide food that contains a minimal amount of lactose in order to prevent uncomfortable side effects such as bloating, cramping or diarrhea that may occur when you consume milk or milk products.

Side effects should stop 3-5 days after following this diet. You will need to experiment with foods to determine your individual tolerance because there are varying degrees of lactose intolerance. The diet below describes a diet for the very sensitive patient and may be modified for others.

Helpful Hints

Heated milk products such as soup, custard, or pudding may be better tolerated than cold milk products.

Scan all product ingredients to see if they contain milk. Terms like milk solids, whey, curds, skim milk powder, and skim milk solids mean that lactose is present.

Try to include plenty of other sources of calcium in your diet. Some good sources include dark green vegetables, canned fish with bones (sardines and salmon), and dry beans.

Food Category

Recommended

May Not Be Tolerated

Milk and Milk Products

All beverages with allowed ingredients, soy milks, other lactose-free supplements; lactose-hydrolyzed milk; cereal milks such as rice milk, infant formula with hydrolyzed casein

Milk and milk products from all animal sources, including fluid milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk, powdered milk, buttermilk, cream, yogurt (depending upon tolerance), chocolate milk, other milk beverages, and cream-based liqueur

Breads and Cereals

Whole-grain or enriched breads and cereals made without milk

Depending upon tolerance, some breads and cereals prepared with milk or milk products may need to be avoided, such as waffles, crepes, and pancakes

Desserts

Desserts and baked goods made without milk or milk products; flavored gelatin desserts; water ices made with allowed foods

Any prepared with milk or milk products (eg, sherbet, ice cream, ice milk, custard, pudding, commercial desserts, and mixes)

Fats

Clarified butter, milk-free margarine, lard, all oils, shortening; salad dressings/ gravies made with foods allowed; pure mayonnaise (not containing milk products) molasses, sugar, and syrup

Any prepared with lactose-containing ingredients, including salad dressings with cheese or milk products; commercial gravy/ gravy mixes; butter or margarines with milk or whey powder

Fruits

All fruits and juices

None

Meats and Meat Substitutes

All meats, poultry; fish except those indicated under "May Not Be Tolerated"; eggs; nuts, seeds, peanut butter, nut butters, tahini; legumes (dried beans, peas, and lentils); tofu

Commercially made meats (ie, croquettes, hamburger patties, processed meats); creamed, breaded/battered meat, fish, or poultry dishes; cottage, processed cream, and ricotta cheese; hard and aged cheeses (depending upon tolerance); cheese sauces, commercial products with cheese or cheese flavors; commercial egg substitutes

Potato and potato substitutes

Potatoes; rice; barley; noodles, other pastas

Potatoes or substitutes prepared with milk or milk products; mixes prepared with lactose-containing ingredients

Soups

Broth, bouillon; soups made with allowed ingredients

Soups made with milk or milk products, including cream soups and commercial soups prepared with milk solids or other lactose-containing products

Sweets

Sugar; corn syrup; pure maple syrup; honey; jellies, jams, marmalades; pure sugar candies; marshmallows

Chocolate; caramels; any candies made with lactose-containing products

Vegetables

All

Vegetables prepared with milk or milk products, including creamed vegetables and breaded/battered vegetables

Miscellaneous

Herbs, spices, condiments; cocoa powder, liquid/powdered chocolate drinks; powdered nondairy cream substitutes; chewing gum; all snack foods except those indicated under " May Not Be Tolerated"

Sugar substitutes made with lactose (eg, Equal); hot chocolate mixes; frozen/powdered artificial whipped toppings; cream sauces; party dips; cheese-flavored snack foods

Product

Lactose (g)

Milk, whole, 2%, 1%, fat-free (1 cup or 250 ml)

11

Buttermilk (1 cup or 250 ml)

10

Evaporated (1/2 cup or 125 ml)

12

Sweetened condensed (1/2 cup or 125 ml)

15

Ice milk (1/2 cup or 125 ml)

9

Ice cream (1/2 cup or 125 ml)

6

Half and half (1/2 cup or 125 ml)

5

Yogurt, low-fat (1 cup or 250 ml)

5

Sour cream or light cream (1/2 cup or 125 ml)

4

Cottage cheese, creamed (1/2 cup or 125 ml)

3

Whipping cream (1/2 cup or 125 ml)

3

Cottage cheese, uncreamed (1/2 cup or 125 ml)

2

Sherbet, orange (1/2 cup or 125 ml)

2

American cheese (1 ox or 30 g)

2

Other cheeses, including Swiss, blue, cheddar, and parmesan (1 oz or 30 g)

1

Cream cheese (1 oz or 30 g)

1

Butter (1 tsp or 5 ml)

Trace

Lactaid milk (1 cup)

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