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The life of lactose-intolerant people must be hard. They cannot take a bowl full of milk with cereal, cannot grab a scoop of ice cream while hanging out with friends. That is nothing but a disappointment, not only related to his cravings but also related to his physique.
Dairy products are one of the principal sources of nutrients like calcium in our diet. To fulfill the body's demand for these nutrients, some alternatives to dairy products are needed. Before getting to these alternatives, it will be better to clear the concept of lactose intolerance.
Lactose intolerance is a physical condition that makes a person unable to fully digest milk or products made of milk. To be precise, because of the shortage of the lactase enzyme, lactose intolerants cannot digest the lactose sugar of milk, thus, suffering from diarrhea, bloating, gas, etc.
However, though milk or milky foods are prohibited for lactose intolerants, there are some alternatives to get the nutrients and enjoy the taste too.
Milk with lactase
If a person is lactose intolerant but still an appreciator of the taste of milk, he can try milk containing lactase. This type of milk contains added lactase, which breaks the lactose of milk.
That means, the lack of the enzyme that makes a person lactose intolerant, is present in this milk and makes digestion easier. Besides, this type of milk has every type of nutrient normal milk contains, though, it may taste a bit sweeter.
Soy Milk
As said previously, milk is one of the major sources of calcium in a person's diet. And, to fulfill the demand for calcium, one needs to drink almost three glasses of milk daily, which lactose intolerants cannot do.
In that case, soy milk can be a great option. Generally, soy milk is filled with calcium. One glass of soy milk contains almost 500 mg of calcium, that is half of the daily demand.
But, it should be made clear that, soy milk can be used as a substitute only in the case of lactose intolerance, not for milk allergy.
Other Milks
One can go for plant-based milk if he or she is suffering from lactose intolerance. There are milk like rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, oat milk, etc.
Rice milk can be a great source of vitamin B12. It contains zero saturated fat. Again, almond milk is a massive source of vitamin E and magnesium. Coconut milk is almost as creamy as cow milk but contains saturated fats. Unluckily, this milk can only fulfill the craving for milk, not the demand of calcium milk supplies.
Sorbet
If a person likes frozen desserts, but cannot consume ice cream because of lactose intolerance, can take sorbet instead. Sorbet, or in other words, water ice, is made from frozen sweetened water to which external flavour is added.
Other Calcium-rich Foods
There are other food items that can check the daily physical demand for calcium. There are veggies like broccoli, spinach, rhubarb, etc. that contain a good amount of calcium.
Fishes with soft bones like sardines can contain more than 100 mg of calcium in every ounce. Salmon and tuna are also high in calcium and can be consumed as nutritional substitutes for dairy products.