10 Lactose Free Dairy Products To Try
Do you love dairy but your tummy doesn’t? Here is a list of 10 lactose free dairy products that will help you keep real dairy on your plate but ditch the pesky lactose and leave your tummy troubles behind.
Does the very thought of a sharing a cheese board with friends make your stomach start to gurgle?
Is ice cream not even worth the bloat?
If this sounds like you, you may have trouble digesting the lactose in milk products!
Hey, I’m Lauren! I’m a registered dietitian and one of my missions is to help you keep as many foods, like dairy, on your plate as possible. While lactose intolerance may feel frustrating to navigate, it does not mean that you need to give up all your favorite dairy foods if you do not want to.
Contrary to popular belief, you can still enjoy milk and milk products with lactose intolerance. While a true dairy allergy does require someone to ditch the dairy, lactose intolerance is not an allergic reaction and simply requires a bit more attention to what kind of dairy products you are putting on your plate.
What is lactose intolerance?
To understand lactose intolerance, you must first understand what lactose is! Lactose is the main carbohydrate found in milk and can be found in every mammals milk, including our own breast milk. Fun fact, the lactose content in humans breast milk is actually much higher than that in cows milk.
Picture lactose like a beaded necklace. Lactose is made up of two individual beads, glucose and galactose, that have been linked together to form the two bead necklace that is lactose. During digestion, our body uses an enzyme called lactase to break the link between those two individual beads and absorb them as single sugar units. Still with me?
There are actually many different types of lactose intolerance (discussed here), but we are going to focus on the most common cause which is when someone does not produce enough lactase leading to lactose malabsorption. Without enough lactase, the lactose is not broken down into the more absorbable single sugar units, glucose and galactose, and remains intact instead.
Your body doesn’t want to absorb intact lactose so it travels through your digestive system and gathers water along the way. This leads to those common lactose sensitivity or intolerance symptoms like digestive upset, gas, bloating, and other feelings of discomfort.
How to manage lactose intolerance:
Now that we understand what causes lactose intolerance, let’s discuss how to live with it. You really have 3 options to manage lactose intolerance:
Minimize lactose consumption: depending on the severity of your lactose intolerance, some people find they can tolerate lactose in much smaller doses without any undesirable symptoms. Here are some recommendations to make that easier:
Spread out your lactose containing foods: While this will be individual, start by aiming for 7-12 grams of lactose per sitting. Basically what I’m saying is don’t have a large glass of milk with your dairy-delicious bowl of cheddar mac and cheese.
Reduce dairy servings from 3 servings a day to two servings a day: this will cut down on your total consumption of lactose.
Pair your lactose containing foods with other foods: Instead of drinking a glass of milk on its own, try blending it into a smoothie with other components or serving it alongside a meal.
Limit total lactose for the day: If you have more severe lactose intolerance, try to limit your lactose intake to 12 grams of lactose per day, which is about one cup of milk.
Stick to lower lactose products: butter, certain cheeses, and cultured dairy products like yogurt have lower lactose content than milk.
Increase lactase enzyme: Remember that lactose intolerance occurs because there is not enough lactase enzyme in your body to break down the lactose and make it more absorbable. There are now many lactase supplements that you can take that are specifically formulated to survive the digestion process and
Remove lactose all together: Some people will choose to remove all milk and milk products from their diet to avoid lactose. This is one option you have, but if this option doesn’t sound good to you then you’re in luck because there’s another option. Your second option is to strictly purchase lactose free products… and there are plenty!
What are lactose free dairy products?
Lactose free dairy options have really expanded on the grocery shelves and specifically aim to provide all of the health benefits and nutrients of dairy, but without the pesky lactose content. That’s right, lactose free dairy products are real milk and are made from real milk, but have had all of their lactose content removed.
Lactose can be removed from milk products in a variety of ways including:
Adding the lactase enzyme: Some producers add the lactase enzyme directly to the milk itself which breaks down that lactose content.
Filtering out the lactose: Some producers pass the milk through a special filter which filters out alot of the lactose content.
Adding bacterial cultures: Other producers (like those who make yogurt and kefir) culture their milk products with probiotic bacteria. This can help with lactose intolerance because first, the bacteria survive off lactose and naturally lower the lactose content and second, the bacteria can help support lactose digestion.
While this is by no means a comprehensive list, let’s take a look at 10 lactose free dairy products for you to try!
10 Lactose Free Dairy Products To Try:
There are actually many Before we get to the list, it’s important to note that the FDA does not regulate “low lactose” and “lactose free” claims, but manufacturers must include food labels that are not misleading.
With that, lactose free products should have zero lactose and low lactose products should have a much lower lactose content than their counterparts. I’m adding this for your own information and as it pertains directly to this list, but I do think you’ll find these products to be much better tolerated. Anyway, let’s get to the list!
1) Lactose Free Milk
That’s right, you can still enjoy milk even if you are lactose sensitive or lactose intolerant! While one glass of milk can have 7-12 grams of lactose, you can try lactose free milk which is real milk but without the lactose.
Regardless of lactose content, all dairy milk is rich in protein, vitamin D, calcium, and other nutrients that contribute to a healthy lifestyle and it’s a great option to include at meals and snacks. Some grocery stores will have their own brand of lactose free milk and there are many other lactose free milk brands for you to try including:
LTN Tip: If you are wondering if A2 milk is lactose free, it’s not. I wrote an entire blog on the lactose content of A2 milk that you can read here!
2) Lactose Free Protein Shakes (Dairy-Based)
Two of my favorite ready to drink lactose free protein shakes are Core Power and Slate Milk. Both products are made from ultra filtered milk which has had the lactose content filtered out. Slate products are made lactose free through this process while Core Power has been filtered and also had enzymes added to break down remaining lactose.
These products come in a variety of flavors and can boost the protein content of your meal or snack by 20 to 42 grams of protein depending on which product you buy. They are great to drink on their own, can be easily blended into smoothies, or added to overnight oats for a protein boost!
3) Kefir (ok, it’s almost entirely lactose free)
Because of its live and active cultures, the lactose content in many cultured beverages (like kefir) is broken down and fermented into lactic acid. This means kefir is almost entirely lactose free and can be enjoyed by many people with lactose intolerance. In fact, Lifeway kefir ( (a favorite brand of mine) claims that their products are 99% lactose free!
If you have a severe lactose intolerance, I would recommend purchasing a Kefir product that has also had the lactase enzyme added to ensure that you product is lactose free. While most kefirs will be very low in lactose, adding the lactase enzyme ensures that any remaining lactose is broken down. Here are some options for you to try!
4) Lactose Free Cottage Cheese
With all the interest in cottage cheese recipes, it’s only right to give you some lactose free cottage cheese options so that you can make recipes like my cottage cheese chocolate mousse, peanut butter chocolate chip cottage cheese cookie dough, or explore the world of cottage cheese toasts like this savory cottage cheese toast or honey toast.
In general, soft cheeses like cottage cheese contain more lactose than hard cheeses. Cottage cheese itself contains a moderate amount of lactose at around 3 grams of lactose per 1/2 cup serving. This would be best paired with a lactose free food, like cottage cheese and fruit for example, to balance out the lactose content and make it more tolerable.
A note to make is that majority of the lactose content is removed during the cheese making process. Hard cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, and Colby jack will be lower in lactose than others. You can also choose an aged cheese like parmigiano reggiano which is almost entirely lactose free. Stick to these options on your cheese board!
There are also a few lactose free cottage cheese brands, including from my personal favorite brand which is Good Culture Cottage Cheese. Here are some that you could try:
5) Lactose Free Butter
Generally speaking, butter is considered a very low lactose food and has roughly .1 grams of lactose per 100 grams. Most people who are sensitive to lactose can tolerate regular butter just fine and do not need to buy butter marketed as lactose free.
For those who have incredibly high sensitivity to lactose, there are a few lactose free butters on the market as well which have had the lactase enzyme added. Here are some that you could try:
6) Lactose Free Yogurt
Similar to kefir, cultured yogurt will naturally have a lower lactose content because of the live and active cultures that break down lactose. These bacterial cultures also make the lactose content easier to digest. Depending on the severity of your lactose sensitive, most people find that they can tolerate a variety of yogurts on the shelf.
Though the lactose content will naturally be lower in the majority of cultured yogurts, not all yogurt is cultured and there are some brands (cultured or not) that have had the lactase enzyme added to ensure that the product is lactose free. Here are some examples:
7) Lactose Free Ricotta Cheese
Ricotta cheese is another delicious dairy option that is often used as a spread, dip, or creamy addition to recipes. Traditional ricotta cheese does contain some lactose at an estimated 1 to 5 grams per 1/2 cup serving. Many people will be able to tolerate ricotta cheese, but there is also a lactose free option like this one:
8) Lactose Free Milk Powder
Milk powder is an incredibly convenient way to boost the nutrition of your meal, especially if you are on the go or do not have access to refrigeration. It can be hydrated into liquid milk for a toddler to enjoy or sprinkled into smoothies and bowls of oatmeal as a simple way to add protein, calcium, and vitamin D.
At about 62 grams of lactose per 1 cup serving, dried milk powder is very high in lactose. If lactose is an issue for you, I recommend buying a lactose free option such as:
9) Lactose Free Protein Powder (Dairy Based)
Dairy based protein powders come in two types: whey protein powder or casein protein powder. While casein is a good slow digesting option, whey tends to be slightly more popular and can be purchased as a whey protein concentrate or a whey protein isolate.
When looking for a dairy based, lactose free protein powder, one route to take is to purchase a whey protein isolate. This means that the whey protein has been isolated out from the other components, like lactose, in milk. While casein protein powders and whey concentrates will also be fairly low in lactose content, whey isolate may be the lowest.
There are actually quite a few dairy based protein powders that are lactose free including some of these options:
Speaking of Seeq, I wrote an entire review on it here! Check it out if you want to learn more about a clear whey protein powder.
10) Lactose Free Sour Cream
Sour cream is much lower in lactose than other dairy products with under 1 gram of lactose per 2 tablespoons. Most of the time, sour cream is well tolerated by those with a lactose sensitivity and there is no need to buy special products.
If you want to be extra sure that you are purchasing lactose free sour cream, here are some brands you could try:
The Takeaway
As you can see, there are actually tons of low lactose and lactose free dairy products that you can buy from the store. Some of these products have been specifically formulated to remove all of the lactose while others are naturally lower in lactose on their own. There are also many brands, like Lactaid or Green Valley, who make lactose free dairy products.
While navigating lactose intolerance may feel frustrating, it does not mean that you need to automatically sign up for a dairy free life if you don’t want to. By using some of the tips in this blog and sticking to the products that were mentioned, you can ditch the tummy troubles but keep the dairy!
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Disclaimer: please note that I am a registered dietitian but I am not YOUR registered dietitian. This information is meant to be educational and should not be used as personalized medical or nutrition advice. This blog may contain affiliate links and any purchase made through my links gives me a small commission and supports Lauren Twigge Nutrition. 
Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a registered dietitian and my goal is to give you tips and tricks to make healthy eating fun, easy, and even delicious!