Lactose Intolerance Awareness Month (and a recipe!) #BeyondLI

Disclosure: this is a sponsored post, written while participating in my partnership with National Dairy Council and One2One Network, however all opinions expressed are my own

Lactose Intolerance Awareness Month: 28 Days of Eating Confidently, Living Fully

Lactose intolerance is a food sensitivity very common and sometimes undiagnosed. People who are lactose intolerant don’t naturally make enough lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose (a sugar naturally found in milk). Around 1 in 10 adults suffer from Lactose Intolerance with symptoms such as gas, bloating or diarrhea. Lactose intolerance is not the same that cow’s milk allergy.

Lactose intolerance does not mean that the person has to avoid dairy. There is lactose-free dairy milk (Lactaid) and other lactose-free products, some natural cheeses such as Cheddar, Monterrey, and even Swiss have such a small amount of lactose that they can be eaten by a person that has lactose intolerance. Always remember that there is a good variety of these product that are available in organic presentations and without any chemicals on them.

The good news for people with lactose intolerance is all the things they can eat: small amounts of lactose could cause no side effects (each person is different, so it is a try-error individual for each case), they can also have lactose-free dairy milk, natural cheeses, and yogurt.

If you think you are lactose intolerance this is what you can do

1. Try lactose-free dairy products, they taste the same
2. Eat small amounts of dairy products to see how much your body tolerate
3. Use small amounts of milk mixed with other products (soups, cereal, and smoothies). Solid foods slow digestion and give the body time to digest the lactose)
4. As usual is recommended that you consult a doctor to get an accurate diagnose.

You do not have to give milk or milk products just because you are lactose intolerant. You still need all the nutrients that are available on those milk products and you can enjoy delicious dishes and even eat at parties!

The NDC’s Lactose Intolerance Page has great information about Lactose Intolerance and great resources

Recipe: Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 package of spaghetti
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• Meatless spaghetti sauce
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• Olives

(Note: Aged, natural cheeses like Cheddar and Parmesan contain a small amount of lactose, making this ricipe friendly for people that are lactose intolerant.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a deep a baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the spaghetti. Boil the pasta until cooked. Drain.
3. Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, and 1 cup of cheddar. Mix in the cooked pasta. Transfer pasta mixture into baking dish. Top with remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Cover pan with aluminum foil.
4. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes

You can find more information about lactose intolerance here

To stay connected visit
NDC Facebook page
NDC Pinterest page
NDC Twitter account
The Dairy Report (NDC Blog)