How Do You Survive on a Lactose Free Diet?

I find I’m better at keeping a New Year’s Resolution if I make it sometime during the year when I need it than making one  on January 1^st just for the sake of I have a  New Year’s Resolution.

For example, last November (2011) I made a New Year’s Resolution to admit to myself that I’m lactose intolerant and to get a better handle on it by cutting cheese from my diet. This one might kill me because I LOVE cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk chocolate. 

If I waited until New Year’s Eve, I might have forgotten my resolution or made it hard to start after wolfing down a bunch of yummy milk based food I know don’t agree with me over the holidays.  So far, I’m doing OK but I’m still looking for a way to cheat the system because I seriously miss me some daily cheese!

Another method is to a make one specific and measurable resolution one month at a time. I did this last year on my green living and DIY blog Condo Blues. I made One Small Green Change a month. I made sure they were measurable in some way. For example, instead of saying that we’re going to reduce the amount of trash our house makes, I resolved to make popsicles at home with reusable popsicle molds instead of buying premade packaged popsicles.

Making monthly goals gives me time to try making a new or changing an old habit. It also gives me out at the end of the month if I find that I like the old way better. I like that there seems to be less pressure to keep them because some of One Small Green Changes (Resolutions) are seasonal changes, like me facing my fear of canning.   I successfully made and canned jam without killing anyone with botulism. I also canned several types of dill pickles, learned how to make bread and butter pickles (at husband’s request), and canned relish (I felt clever doing that!) I also turned our 8 homegrown tomatoes into salsa for the first time and canned that too. Considering the truckloads of salsa we eat, it’s almost a crime that I haven’t made it before.

And guess what happened? In 2011 I kept 11 habits. Sadly, one didn’t work out due to health reasons.

My January Small Change is a carry over from last year – learn how to live on a largely lactose free diet. Fortunately, I don’t have a severe food allergy to milk. I found that I can eat something with a smidge of lactose in it, like homemade bread that contains butter. Taking sometime like Lactaid before I eat a slice of pizza helps calm things down after the fact but I  still have digestive issues if I do it often. It’s best that I avoid lactose as much as possible.

Do you have any tips or suggestions for lactose free substitutes for things like butter, cheese, or the thing that is really going hurt come summer – ice cream?

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