There is a misconception that ‘low lactose’ or ‘lactose free’ should mean ‘dairy free’. The Australian Dietary Guidelines state that people with lactose intolerance can still enjoy some dairy.

Many people eliminate dairy foods from their diet completely when they believe they are lactose intolerant for symptom relief. With a diagnosis of lactose intolerance, the amount of lactose that can be tolerated will vary from person to person.

For people with lactose intolerance, the Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend:

• Up to 250ml of milk (one glass) may be well tolerated if consumed with other foods or if intake is spread across the day.
• Most hard cheeses are virtually lactose free.
• Yoghurt contains ‘good’ bacteria that helps to digest lactose.
• Lactose free milks are available and contain similar nutrients to regular milk.

Resources

National Health and Medical Research Council. Australian Dietary Guidelines Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2013.