Enjoy Dairy Without An Upset Stomach With Lactaid! #Lactaid

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you through The Motherhood blogger network in partnership with Lactaid.

Last week, I was approached by The Motherhood with an opportunity to share the benefits of Lactaid with y'all. With Chris and Angeline both suffering from lactose intolerance, I jumped at the chance to spread the word!

For those that aren't aware, Lactose is the carbohydrate (it's a milk sugar) found in dairy foods - think milk, ice cream and cheese - that many people aren't able to properly digest. Because Lactose must be broken down into glucose and galactose by the intestinal enzyme lactase before it can be absorbed by the body, many people suffer from upset stomachs if they aren't able to properly break down Lactose.

I breastfed Angeline as a baby, and she always seemed to vomit after nursing. Back in the late 90's, I had no idea what lactose intolerance was and we always thought that she was upsetting her stomach by nursing too quickly or by consuming too much. It wasn't until she was about 6 and began having diarrhea when eating milk shakes and other dairy foods that I realized she had an issue with Lactose.

Cue the mom guilt...

Luckily, Chris and Angeline can both eat a little dairy without getting sick, but anything more than macaroni and cheese or a slice of cheese on their sandwich and they get an upset stomach. We've learned over the years to avoid too much ice cream, and if Angeline is going to drink a shake or another dairy-rich food, she just has a little and saves the rest for later. We supplement with Lactaid and at one point, I even gave Angeline Lactaid pills, which really helped a lot!

So what makes Lactaid the nations #1 Lactose-free dairy brand?

Lactaid dairy products are 100% real dairy, they just have a natural yeast-derived enzyme called lactase. Because they provide the lactase that the body can’t produce enough of, it naturally helps bodies break down lactose.

Lactaid products (Milks, Cottage Cheese, Ice Cream and Eggnog) help people who have a lactose sensitivity digest dairy products without getting an upset stomach, so they can enjoy their beloved dairy without the unhappy side effects they've come to dread.

A little about Lactaid milk: 

Lactaid is actually real milk and calcium enriched! You get all of the same nutrients of milk, and because the lactase enzyme is added to the milk to break down the lactose, it has a slightly sweeter taste. We found that this helped Angeline like it even more when she was little!

Lactaid is ultra pasteurized and lasts longer when properly refrigerated, and should be drank within a week of being opened.

We need about 1000 mg of calcium each dayLACTAID provides 500 mg of calcium in each 8 oz glass, whereas an 8 oz glass of milk has 300 mg of calcium. You need just two glasses of Lactaid to get your day’s worth of calcium requirements!

Lactaid makes ice cream too!

Lactaid ice cream is available in Chocolate, Vanilla, Cookies & Cream, Strawberries & Cream and Butter Pecan, and with the exception of Cookies & Cream, they are all gluten-free as well!

You can find out more about all Lactaid products on Lactaid.com.

Celebrity chef Melissa d'Arabian and registered dietitian Michelle Harrington recently appeared on the TODAY Show and shared Melissa's recipe for lactose-free blueberry muffins. You can check that out here. I love the idea of cooking with Lactaid products; I used to substitute Lactaid for milk when Angeline really struggled with stomach problems when she was little.

photo courtesy of Lactaid.com

Melissa's Tips for Cooking with Lactaid: 

• Use Lactaid in your coffee instead of flavored creamer or sugar, the additional sweetness means you don't need sugar!
• Melissa finds that her kids prefer smoothies with Lactaid compared other milks, probably due to the slight sweetness.
• Substitute Lactaid for regular milk in recipes, cup for cup.
• When substituting Lactaid for cream in recipes, work in a teaspoon of corn starch to thicken it up.
• Substitute lactose-free milk for buttermilk by adding vinegar!

Tips for eating with Lactose Intolerance:

When those with a lactose intolerance consume regular dairy products on an empty stomach, they're more likely not to tolerate it. Eating lactose with other food will help you digest it more easily.

Many lactose-intolerant people find that yogurt doesn't bother them - this is true of Angeline and my nephew, Dakota, who is really lactose-intolerant. This is probably because y

• ogurt has live and active cultures in it that help digest the lactose.

Greek yogurt has double the protein and fewer carbs, which means less lactose and easier to digest. If tolerated, yogurt is a great way to get nutrients and calcium needed in an everyday diet!

Rule of thumb for eating cheese: the harder the cheese, the less moisture or whey in it—as a result, the less lactose in it. Always choose the aged cheeses, as they are lower in lactose! Aged Cheddar, Gruyère, Pecorino and Swiss cheeses will have less lactose in them.

Would you like to win a full value coupon for one Lactaid product? Then enter this super easy giveaway!

Full Value Coupon for One Lactaid Product Giveaway

Mandatory Entry (this must be done before any additional entries count)

Leave a comment on this blog post telling me which Lactaid product you'd like to try!

Bonus entries (leave a separate comment for each entry!)

Leave me a comment telling me which family member struggles with lactose intolerance!

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Stay tuned later this month as I share my own special recipe using Lactaid in place of regular milk! It's gonna be awesome!

This giveaway ends at midnight on 5/29 and is open to US residents only. Prizing fulfilled by The Motherhood.