Living With Lactose Intolerance
When I first figured out that I am lactose intolerant, I was at a loss for words. Food with dairy was a main part of my diet. So when I found out I couldn’t have it anymore, I had to figure out exactly what I could eat without upsetting my stomach. While researching food that was lactose-free, many sites and blogs stated that there were substitute ingredients for dairy but never stated what those ingredients were. I had to some digging and found it rather difficult to find a lot of information on alternative ingredients that I could purchase at my local grocer. I know as a newcomer to lactose intolerance that it is hard to figure out of to eat. Sometimes I forget, especially when it comes to pizza, that I’m not able to eat it without getting sick. After a few of those forgetful events, I came to realize that I needed to find recipes of my favorite foods. I searched for various recipes for all types of food that I could cook for myself and came back to the problem of locating the substitute ingredients. This is still the fun part for me since I don’t always enjoy going to stores like Whole Foods or other organic grocers. At my local Ultra-Foods, I’m not always able to find the alternative ingredients that I need; which then requires me to alter my whole meal plan. Sometimes I change it to a pasta dish without any kind of cheese. But man, I wish I could have a decent bowl of mac-n-cheese. As for the recipes when I do have the ingredients I need, I am able to create some delicious dishes. Desserts are especially hard of finding alternate ingredients but I have managed to locate a whipped filling that does wonders to your taste buds! Just because I’m lactose intolerant though, doesn’t matter much to me anymore because I have found better eating habits that are healthier for me. There’s always room for improvement, especially when it comes to spicing up quick meals for when I’m in a hurry, but I am more than happy to figure out those improvements!
