First milk, now CHEESE!!

[LycraLovingLass]

I realised I was lactose intolerant last year, I did the blood sugar test which confirmed it and the GP was happy that was what I was having problems with.

To start with it was milk, cream, buttercream but only large amounts of cheese that I suffered with. A little bit of hard cheese I could get away with and yogurt is fine.

Since I have switched to lactose free milk and totally avoiding cream, I have noticed I am getting more sensitive to cheese. I can't have any now without getting gassy or loose stools.

If I start drinking milk again will it fix cheese for me? I can't give up cheese!!

I have ordered some lactose free cheese to try but the lactose free yogurt was vile and the milk has a funny taste so I am not holding out much hope.

I need cheese.

I used to eat cheese every day. Cokking was always with cheese. I had milk on cereal every morning, cheese at lunchtime most days and loved pizza, fondue, cheesy mash, lasagne, you name it. And a baked camembert was heaven! Honestly I don't miss it now which was really a surprise. There are plenty of other options and substitutes but it will take time to find the ones you like best. 2 years on i doubt I'll ever have that much dairy again, I actually prefer coconut milk to cows milk now and have embraced vegan cheese on pizza.

Oops, should say cooking not cokking

This conversation has inspired me to have a sharp cheddar cheese and sliced red onion sandwich for breakfast. (I'm not in the UK right now.)

Silver lining- ulyou are doing a really good thing for the environment and for animals by not eating dairy. Try exploring some vegan cheeses perhaps. Violife cheese is a lot like edam, smoked applewood is a lot like, well, smoked applewood. Asda have one that tastes a lot like cheddar. And if you look for fancy artisan vegan cheese you can get absolutely all sorts including brie, camembert and blue.

Great typo pink 😂,

OP, I would try the lacto free and as a pp said the Arlo one sounds good, but I've not tried any. I don't have a lactose intolerance, but get where you're coming from about being restricted with a food you love. For other reasons I have to be quite strict with what I eat and I miss not just eating what I want. Actually I love cheese, and find it hard to resist, and if not for my OH I just wouldn't buy it, although I have started getting him types of cheese I'm not keen on!

OP you sound like me 8 months ago when I realised I was lactose intolerant and it was cheese/milk that had been making me ill for months. I used to add cheese to anything and everything! My favourite vegan cheese is Applewood smoked cheese but I do use lactase tablets when I want pizza and things like desserts with cream in. I buy the ones in a green bottle from Holland and Barrett, they are £12.50 but I know when I ordered a few days ago you got a second bottle for 1p so worth checking if that offer is still on
Also in the last week I've just discovered the most amazing vegan/dairy free ice cream, it's called Northern block and you can buy it in Co op, it's not got the weird grainy-ness lots of vegan ice creams have!!

I'm entirely lactose intolerant and had to give up all dairy for a year while breastfeeding a child with a dairy allergy.

Vegan cheese is an abomination. I two lactase tablets from Holland and Barrett, I take three before something containing dairy- say, a pizza- and if it's something that takes me more than about ten minutes to finish I take another lot. Basically, nights of randomly nibbling cheese or say spending a few hours with some Brie are gone, but consuming a main course is totally possible.

I use the aria cheese/yoghurt/milk for day to day dairy consumption, I save the pills for 'special' occasions - which is mostly a few times a week, but in lockdown as my need for ice cream has increased is most days. The issue is if you take too many the dose is always slightly off, so you eventually can get a bit of digestive discomfort. But, it's really fine, just get the tablets and don't mess about reintroducing dairy: once it's gone, it's gone.

@pinkcarpet your post just made me hungry

The thread has been really supportive and informative, feel much better now thanks everyone! I will report back on the Arla cheese and invest in the tablets for treats!

It does wonders for my diet, i have had a tub of non dairy Ben and Jerry's sat in the freezer for weeks. Normal Ben and Jerry's would have been well scoffed by now!