Dairy Alternatives

Lactose free dairy products filter cows’ milk to remove roughly half of the lactose. The lactase enzyme is then added which breaks down the remaining lactose into simpler sugars that the body is able to absorb.

Soya milk comes from soybeans and is made by soaking and grinding these beans with water. After straining, the remaining liquid is what is known as soy or soya milk.

Digestive enzymes are tablets or capsules that contain lactase. When taken immediately after consuming lactose-containing food, the enzymes break down the lactose and allow it to be digested.

Lactase enzyme liquid is also available to be added to milk before consumption. These pure lactase drops hydrolyse lactose into glucose and galactose, the simple sugars that the body can absorb, allowing the product to be safely consumed by those with lactose intolerance.

Oat milk is made from oat groats, hulled grain that is broken up into fragments, combined with water. This mixture is boiled and simmered and once cooled and strained, forms oat milk. Plain oat milk has a very mild, slightly sweet flavour.

Almond milk is a combination of almonds and water and can be made at home. Almonds are soaked in water for a period of time and then blended with more water. Once strained, the remaining liquid is almond milk.

Coconut milk is derived from the meat of a mature coconut and can be classed as either thick or thin. Squeezing grated coconut meat through cheesecloth makes thick coconut milk. The resulting substance is then soaked in water and squeezed a second time to create thin coconut milk.

Rice milk is a variety of grain milk that is made with filtered water, brown rice syrup, brown rice starch and thickening agents. The process to make rice milk involves pressing the rice through a millstream and using diffusion to strain out the pressed grains. Rice milk can be made at home by boiling brown rice with a large volume of water and then blending and straining the mixture.

Goats’ milk contains lactose and although it is a slightly lower level than cows’ milk (approximately 4.1% versus 4.7%), can still cause an adverse reaction when consumed by those with lactose intolerance.