Do you have lactose intolerance or, by choice, you want to reduce their milk consumption? The lactose-free diet may be for you… But let me show you some tips for reducing, or even eliminating, your consumption of dairy products!
Milk is increasingly criticized for its health. Rightly or wrongly, some people observe benefits on their health from the elimination of cow’s milk and dairy products in food, or simply prefer to limit them for reasons of taste, comfort or conviction.
However, removing dairy products from the diet involves some adaptations to avoid the appearance of deficiencies. Dairy products represent the primary source of calcium in the diet and also supplement our protein intake.
For calcium, let’s not forget that fruits and vegetables are the 2nd power source. They should not be neglected and should be present at each meal. Oilseeds are also a good calcium supplement. Walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds can be included for around 8 g to replace dairy products. They will also provide good quality fatty acids, such as the famous omega-3.
Lactose-free diet: Drinks
Plant-based drinks and plant-based desserts are increasingly present on shelves. There are plant-based drinks based on soy, oats, almonds, rice, quinoa, etc. The protein, carbohydrate and lipid contents of these products vary greatly from one product to another.
We will first of all prefer natural products. The vanilla, chocolate, caramel versions… sometimes turning out to be excessively sweet. We will also check the calcium enrichment which is common, but not systematic.
Lactose-free diet: Let’s explore soy
We find many soy desserts in a lactose-free diet. The name “yogurt” for these desserts is not conventional. Natural soy yogurt enriched with calcium is characterized by its low caloric intake (51 kcal per 100 g pot), for less than 3% lipids, values comparable to natural cow’s milk yogurt.
He is also a source of plant-based protein non-negligible with 4.6% protein. It contains no cholesterol or lactose. However, we will keep an eye on all the chocolate, vanilla, and even fruit variants which remain sweet products closer to a dessert cream.
Soy in terms of protein quality remains the product most recommended in a lactose-free diet. The nature of polyunsaturated fatty acids is also better than that of cow’s milk. As for other plant-based drinks, they are integrated into the diet by alternating them, as their compositions are variable and far from milk.
Alternative to the lactose-free diet
If, however, you do not want to follow a lactose-free diet in the strict sense, but simply want to reduce your consumption of dairy products, then here are some little tips to help you consume better!
Take the case of yogurts for example. To choose your yogurts carefully, here is elements to take into account:
- The size of the pot:
It tends to grow more and more and distorts our consumption benchmarks. 1 jar of 125 g is a standard size. As soon as you go to 150 or even 180 g, the caloric value per portion increases! - Sugar additions:
In a natural yogurt, we only reach 5 g of sugar which is none other than the lactose in milk. In compound products and drinkable yogurts, there is a tendency to add excess sugar. These products, often intended for children, can condition them to taste sugar. With for example 11 g of sugar/100 g, if the pot of liquid yogurt is 180 g… we quickly reach 4 lumps of sugar per serving! These flavored and fruit yogurts are also often rich in additives, flavorings… but little in fruit! - The ferments:
The probiotics contained in yogurt are beneficial for transit and have many other benefits. There are also yogurts with different ferments, which can have beneficial digestive effects with varied flavors and sometimes softer and more pleasant for consumers. - The type of milk:
Cow’s, goat’s, sheep’s milk… you can vary! But let’s try to either stay at 0% or not exceed 4% lipids. Beyond that it’s excessive!
