HealthInfo West Coast-Te Tai Poutini
Self-care for lactose intolerance
Me pēhea e whakahaere i te whakahāweatanga reihuka
You should not avoid all milk and milk products. Milk and milk products help to keep your body and bones healthy and strong. This is because they contain nutrients such as protein and calcium.
Even if you are lactose intolerant, regularly eating small amounts of lactose is good for you. It helps the bacteria in your large bowel break down lactose without causing symptoms.
The following tips will help you lower your lactose intake and make sure you get enough protein and calcium.
Use lactose-free milk instead of regular milk
You should be able to cope with a small amount of regular milk in tea and coffee or a small glass of regular milk at the same time as having other food. If you want to have more than a small glass, use a lactose-free milk.
There are many different kinds of lactose-free milks. These include lactose-free cow's milk, soy milk, almond milk and other plant milks. You can buy these in supermarkets.
Lactose-free cow's milk and soy milk are the best options. They have a lot more protein than almond milk or other plant milks. If you choose soy or other plant milks, make sure they have added calcium with at least 120 mg calcium per 100 ml milk.
Use lactose-free yoghurt instead of regular yoghurt
Some people with lactose intolerance can eat regular yoghurt. This is especially true if the yoghurt contains live bacteria and is higher in fat, such as a Greek yoghurt. The bacteria break down some of the lactose in the yoghurt. They also supply lactase, which helps your body break down the remaining lactose.
If you cannot tolerate regular yoghurt, use a soy yoghurt, coconut yoghurt or almond yoghurt. You can buy these in the supermarket.
Use sorbet or lactose-free ice cream instead of regular ice cream
Many different sorbets, coconut-based and soy-based ice creams are available in the supermarket. These are high in sugar, so keep them for an occasional treat.
Use hard and semi-hard cheeses instead of soft, unripened cheeses
Hard and semi-hard cheeses contain no or very little lactose. Hard and semi-hard cheeses include Cheddar, Edam, Brie, Camembert, feta, mozzarella, Gouda and Parmesan.
Haloumi cheese and soft, unripened cheeses that come in a tub contain small amounts of lactose. These include ricotta, cottage cheese, cream cheese, mascarpone and crème fraîche. You should avoid these or eat them in small quantities, such as two tablespoons or less.
Have food and drinks that contain lactose at the same time as other foods
This makes the lactose pass through your gut more slowly, giving the lactase you do have more time to work. Whole milk (dark blue top) and Greek yoghurt are usually easier to tolerate than trim milk (green top) and low-fat yoghurt. This is because they contain less lactose and more fat.
Amounts of lactose in foods and drinks
Most people with lactose intolerance can drink small amounts of milk. Different people can have different amounts of lactose.
To work out how much you can have, start drinking small amounts of milk. Start with ½ cup a day. If you cope with this, try having ¾ cup of milk a day and so on.
Lactase enzyme supplements
You can get lactase enzyme supplements. These are available as tablets or drops and you can buy them from a pharmacy.
You take the tablets before having lactose-rich food. You can add the drops to animal milk or milk product.
If you can tolerate dairy products in small amounts, you do not need a lactase supplement. Lactase supplements are expensive. So, if you do find them helpful, they are best kept for special occasions or when eating out.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed March 2025.
SourcesReview key: HILAC-250023
