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LACTOSE-FREE/LOW LACTOSE DIET

The GI Center
Digestive & Liver Center, PA

Keeping you healthy is our main aim here at The GI Center. As your physicians, it is our aim to provide the best guidance of diet as well as medicine. In doing so, also please remember that it is not possible to mention each and every food component that is available in this world. Our instructions are designed to serve as guidance only. If you have any specific question regarding anything not fully addressed here, please call your physician.

Purpose: This diet plan will help prevent bloating, gas, cramps, and diarrhea caused by milk and milk products. The substance lactose, which is a type of sugar found in milk, causes these problems in patients who cannot digest milk. This condition is called “lactose intolerance”. People who cannot digest lactose do not make enough of the enzyme lactase. If your body makes some lactase, you may be able to eat small amounts of foods containing lactose. By trying small amounts of the foods with lactose, you will learn how much you can tolerate. The amount of lactose each person can handle is different. Some may tolerate a low lactose diet, while others will need a strict lactose free diet. You can buy lactase enzyme tablets such as Lactaid from the drug store to help your body digest dairy products. Chew or swallow 1 to 6 tablets when starting to eat foods containing lactose.

Food Group	Foods Allowed	Foods to Avoid
Beverages	Soy milk fortified with calcium & vitamin D	Milk; whole, low fat, skim, buttermilk, chocolate, condensed, evaporated, dried
	Lactose-reduced milk such as Lactaid, if tolerated	Cream
	Lactose-free beverages such as soy, nondairy cream	Eggnog, malted milk, Ovaltine
	Cocoa prepared with soy milk or nondairy cream	"Instant" breakfast beverages
	Carbonated beverages, coffee, tea	Milk shakes and cocoa prepared with milk or milk products
Meats & Meat Substitutes	Plain meat, poultry, fish and shellfish	Meat, poultry, fish and shellfish prepared with milk or milk products such as white sauce or cheese sauce
	Dry beans and peas	Luncheon meats, sausage and hot dogs that contain lactose or milk filler
	Peanut butter	Cream cheese, cottage cheese
	Soybean and textured vegetable protein, tofu	Mozzarella, ricotta
	Kosher hot dogs	Processed cheese, cheese spreads
	Yogurt with active cultures	Eggs prepared with milk or milk products
	Hard and fermented cheese such as cheddar, Swiss, gouda, edam and parmesan
	Eggs prepared without milk or milk Products
Vegetables	Canned, fresh or frozen vegetables without sauces	Any prepared with milk or milk products such as cream sauce or cheese sauce
	All vegetable juices	Any with lactose added in processing
Fruits & Fruit Juices	All are lactose-free
Grains & Starches	White potato, sweet potato, pasta and rice, prepared without milk or milk products	Mashed or escalloped potatoes or any other potato substitute prepared with milk or milk products
	Breads and rollls prepared without milk products	Instant potatoes if milk or lactose is added
	Crackers, melba toast, pretzels, matzos, rye wafers	Breads or rolls prepared with milk or milk products
		Pancakes, waffles, biscuits
		Muffins, donuts, sweet rolls
		Prepared mixes
Soups	Broth, bouillon and consomme soups prepared with allowed foods	Cream soups or any other soup prepared with milk or milk products
	Cream soups made with nondairy cream or soy milks
Desserts	Sugar, honey, jams, jellies	Chocolate, cream-filled and caramel candies
	Molasses, syrup	Frostings prepared with milk or milk products
	Marshmallows, hard candies, gumdrops, jellybeans, pure sugar candies	Sherbet, ice cream
	Carob powder, baking chocolate	Custards, puddings
	Gelatin, angel food cake, fruit pies, fruit ice	Cream pies, cheesecake
	Homemake cakes and cookies prepared without milk or milk products	Commercial cookies, desserts and mixes
		Any desserts prepared with milk or milk products
Miscellaneous	Cereals prepared without milk or milk products	Cereals prepared with milk or milk products
	Milk-free margarine; oil; mayonnaise	Cream, whipped cream, sour cream
	Salad dressing prepared without milk, cream or cheese	Creamy salad dressing or salad dressing made with cheese or butter
	Herbs, spices, seasonings, extracts	Sauces, gravies or snack "dips" prepared with milk or milk products
	Vinegar, catsup, mustard, pickles, relish	Sugar substitutes made with lactose
	Popcorn	Foods containing the fat substitute Simplesse
	Sauces or gravies prepared from allowed foods	Sugar substitutes made with lactose (Equal)

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