Lactose Intolerant? Best alternatives to drinking milk!

Are you lactose intolerant? If yes, you are in the right place. Like most Asians as myself, our bodies lack the necessary lactase enzymes to digest dairy. Therefore, we experience diarrhea, bloating and gas. Despite this fact, there are other alternatives to drinking milk, while receiving the recommended daily dose of calcium.

As a child, I had no problems drinking milk. But as I grew older, I found that drinking milk upset my stomach, and after I stopped drinking milk all together. One day, the doctor told me I was not getting enough calcium and Vitamin D. Calcium builds strong bones and Vitamin D helps to absorb calcium into your body. After this realization, I had to increase the amount of calcium and Vitamin D into my body and found different options to get the recommended dosage that I needed. The recommended daily dosage for calcium is 1,000 mg and the daily dosage for Vitamin D is 400 IU.

Here are some alternatives to drinking milk if you are lactose intolerant:

1. ALMOND MILK

Almond milk has a nutty taste when you first try it, but after you adjust to the taste, it doesn’t taste like anything at all. The most popular brand associated with almond milk is Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almond Milk. Almond milk comes in sweetened and unsweetened versions and also includes several flavors such as Original, Coconut, Vanilla, and Chocolate. My favorite is unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk. Also, almond milk goes great with smoothies. One cup of almond milk contains 300 mg of calcium and 100 IU of Vitamin D.

2. SOY MILK

Soy milk bought in American stores has a thick creamy texture. Like Almond milk, soy milk comes in different flavors like chocolate and vanilla. I prefer soy milk found at Asian supermarkets because the texture is less creamy and the taste is better. Soy milk from Asian markets are usually made fresh, and I usually purchase the sweetened fresh soy milk from Asian markets. Unsweetened soy milk is also available. If you live close by to an Asian market, I would recommend buying soy milk from there. If you can not find fresh soy milk at Asian stores, try Kikkoman Pearl Soy Milk. I’ve also tried Silk and Kirkland Soymilk, which are other brands you might want to try. One cup of soy milk contains 300 mg of calcium.

3. RICE MILK

Rice milk has a very thin consistency and has a bland taste. Rice milk is a good substitute for milk especially if you are using it to eat cereal. I tried using rice milk to make mash potatoes and it didn’t turn out so well. So make sure to stick to regular cow milk when making mash potatoes! I like the Kirkland Rice Milk brand, and you can get a pack of 12 at Costco. One cup of rice milk contains 200 mg of calcium and 80 IU of Vitamin D.

4. ORANGE JUICE

For those who do not like almond, soy or rice milk, orange juice is another alternative to milk. I can drink orange juice more than once a day compared to soy, rice or almond milk. Orange juice can be found with extra calcium and Vitamin D. So look out for orange juice labels that have calcium plus Vitamin D like Tropicana. One cup of orange juice with calcium and Vitamin D is 350 mg and 100 IU respectively. One cup of orange juice is never enough for me.