Help with dairy

hello all-
i've not eaten beef, chicken, or pork for about 14 yrs now but have always kept a bit of fish, dairy and eggs in my diet.  lately i'm starting to think that i've developed a bit of a lactose intolerance and it's killing me.  i love cheese.  i love ice cream.  so, i'm wondering, for those of you who eat 'replacement' foods, are there good brands/types that i should be looking for?  i already drink soy milk, and that's cool, but what should i be looking for in the fake ice cream/cheese department?  and is this just a let-down that i'm going to have to deal with?  or are there really good alternatives out there that i've just been blind to?

also, any other lactose-intolerants out there?  any suggestions?

thanks for all your help!

my husband is lactose intollerant.  he hasn't changed his diet one bit.. but when he eats anything with dairy in it he takes a lactaid pill.. and he uses lactaid milk instead of regular milk.  since he was diagnosed with it he hasn't had a problem if he makes sure to take that pill.. they are sold OTC at any store.. :) hope that helps! knowing you don't have to give up what you love.. :) 

thanks!  i'll definitely look for that.  i appreciate the help.

I was allergic to milk until about 20, and still can't really do dairy that often.  I have found that tofutti ice cream (made with soy milk) is sooooo delicious, and they make these ice cream sandwiches (called tofutti cuties) that even my anti-tofu husband loves.

I haven't found a good replacement for cheese to stand on its own, but have had many pre-packaged meals that have good cheese substitutes.

Silk makes decent soy yogurt (I use decent loosely).  I recommend walking through a Whole Foods or a Trader Joe's, etc. and trying to find a few small packages of things that look good and experiment with them.  In the past 5 years or so milk replacement items have gotten worlds better.

There are a couple brands I like, I do not really consider them "replacement" because nothing can replace the flavor of dairy, but they do satisfy the sweet and creamy craving. 

I have not found a cheese that I like, but both Tofutti and Rice Dream make some pretty good "Ice Cream's" or Frozen bars, so I agree with Shannon whole heartedly.  Tofutti cuties are the best, I prefer Vanilla :-)

thanks for the suggestions, shannon and poobus.  i'll look for these next time i'm at the market.

my younger brother has been severely lactose intolerant his whole life (i mean NOTHING with dairy at all in it.. not cookies with a trace of milk or anything) and he's 17 now... he drinks lactaid milk and eats lactose free ice cream ... if he has something like  pizza or goes somewhere where dairy is unavoidable (birthday/anniversary parties/restaurants) he just takes a lactaid pill... when we make mashed potatoes we just use his milk ... the lactose free ice cream is actually just as good as real ice cream and may even taste sweeter... i don't like the milk just plain but as an ingredient there is no difference and even on cereal it's not really noticeable ... and it makes d**n good hot chocolate... :0)

Soy delicious ice cream is awesome. I've served it to milk eating people and no one knew the difference.

Stoneyfield farm makes a soy-based smoothie that I particularly like.  And it doesn't have gelatin in it, as some of the other yoghurt-based smoothies do.

Hope this helps!
--Mickey

Hi Kadieladie,

I'm lactose intolerant to some degree - did you know the lactose in yoghurt has been eaten up by the bacteria? I can eat as much yoghurt as I like (provided it contains no added milk powder, which cuts out the big commercial brands). But if I have a single cup of raw milk I get ill.

I am vegetarian and I treat yoghurt as a sauce. I add some lime juice and have it with steamed veges tossed with some toasted spices. Yum!

Amber