Lactose intolerance is the colloquial way of describing the inability to metabolize lactose – the main carbohydrate contained within dairy products. People who are lactose intolerant do not produce adequate amounts of the enzyme lactase. Lactase is necessary in order to break down lactose carbohydrates into glucose and galactose that can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. This means that lactose moves, undigested, through the digestive tract and causes discomfort and bloating.
How common is Lactose Intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is incredibly common, with around 75 percent of the world’s population suffering. It is far more common in countries that did not have a traditional dairy cultivation industry. If you think you might be suffering from a lactose intolerance, but don’t know whether you should cut dairy out of your diet, it might be worth taking a test. These days, private companies like Intolerance Lab offer affordable intolerance testing kits that can be self-administered.
Are you entertaining somebody with a lactose intolerance? You might think that you will have to completely alter your recipes in order to cater to them – but you would be wrong. Here are some of the best easy meals to cook when you are making food for a lactose intolerant guest.
Honey and Orange Roast Sea Bass With Lentils
This dish is both lactose and gluten free – making it even more available to guests with food intolerances. The rich flesh of the bass is gilded by the sweetness of the honey and orange, which caramelizes slightly during the cooking process. This meal has a wonderfully complex eastern Mediterranean vibe.
Florentine Dairy Free Pizza
Pizza is usually completely out of reach for the lactose intolerant foodie. This alternative recipe inspired by a traditional Florentine dish uses eggs to provide the thickness that cheese usually provides on a pizza. It goes extremely well topped with spinach and anchovies. The recipe is remarkably simple and is perfect for dinner parties.
Devil’s Food Cake
People with a lactose intolerance often find that they have less options for pudding than the rest of us. Cakes, for instance, are typically made with dairy products. This devil’s food cake recipe by Allyson Kramer is completely free of any lactose, and does not disappoint. This dark, thick chocolate cake is made using soda and dark chocolate to create a thick and indulgent sweet dish that contains no compromises, despite containing no dairy at all!
Spicy Fish Curry
Curries are often lactose free – dairy farming culture is not traditional in Asia in the same way that it is in other parts of the world. With that in mind, it is easy to see how sweet coconut milk is often used where Westerners would often use dairy products. This spicy fish curry profiled by taste.au is great for serving big groups and uses a rich and pungent sauce that is not all that hard to make at home using widely available ingredients.
