Life isn’t easy being wheat and milk intolerant. My mother suffers from it too and I guess that’s where I got it from. In my early 20’s I drew the line after suffering at least one seriously painful bout of stomach cramps a week. For one year I vowed to cut out all forms of wheat and somehow I completed it successfully. Still, when I ate a gloriously creamy pot of Greek yoghurt with a dollop of honey, my stomach bloated 30 minutes later and I would look 5 months pregnant, not to mention the stinky farts that came along. Phlegm also formed immediately and if I pushed my luck by eating milk products a few days in a row, it would start with a sore throat and turn into a full-blown cold. My next New Year’s resolution was to cut out dairy (and wheat again) for a whole year. Things definitely went better but boy, was it difficult watching everybody around me devour chocolate eggs during Easter! After that I moved to the UK and started cooking full-time for myself, i.e. restaurants and take-aways went off the menu. From then on, my health took a drastic turn for the better and I rarely get ill (touch wood).
If you browse through Greedy Gourmet you will notice that there are recipes that contain wheat and/or dairy to make the site friendly for the general population, but rest assured they are not dishes that I will consume every day, but treat myself once in a while; most of the time with no ill effects. Although I’ve gotten rather used to living without wheat and dairy products, I am always on the lookout for alternative products that I can use in my cooking, which brings me to Lactofree.
The Product
Prominently displayed between the soy and goat’s milk products, the carton is difficult to miss with a friendly cow looking back at you. Moo! It is more expensive than traditional milk, but then again, aren’t all health products dearer? Since I’ve never been a fan of drinking milk straight, I asked friends and family who are regular milk drinkers to taste it for me. They had no problem with the flavour and reported it tasted like ordinary milk. This is good news because cooking for the family suddenly becomes much less complicated; instead of making two versions of the same dish, I only have to make one. There is a slight glitch though, in most of the feedback I got from people, they said it feels as if something is missing from the milk. I strongly doubt that it will be the absence of lactose in the milk. When I checked the carton for more information, it said semi-skimmed. Hmmm. Rummaging through the shop’s milk shelves again I couldn’t find a full fat version of Lactofree. Why is that? The only answer I could think of is that since lactose intolerants are more health aware than average, the company thought they would be fat conscious as well.
The Website
The first thing I did when Lactofree hit our fridge was to check out its website. Purely from a web designer’s point of view there are so many different fonts and sizes that they make my eyes dance. Although the colour scheme stays true to the logo, it can really do with a splash of colour to liven it up a bit. As for content there is a Restaurant Guide that helps intolerants to choose restaurants that will suit their dietary needs. The database is quite small but hopefully will be expanded upon in the future, which will make it a really handy guide. If you are unsure whether you are lactose intolerant, you can download and follow this excellent elimination diet that has been developed and approved by the British Dietetic Association. It is supplied in PDF format which has been professionally laid out and looks very simple to follow. The website explains exactly what happens to the milk that ends up in the carton, which puts you at ease. The authors have gone through great trouble to explain what lactose intolerance is, which is quite helpful. There is a Q & A section and if you don’t find the answer to the questions popping in your head don’t be afraid to drop Lactofree a mail. After thoroughly browsing the site I closed the window disappointedly. I didn’t get what I came on the site for: recipes. I needed reassurance that if I use the milk in my cooking, the dish won’t be a flop. After all, they have changed the “chemical” structure of the milk a bit…
After fretting a long time about how to use this special milk, I started using it in small quantities. A little bit to scrambled egg – it came out fine. I used a bit more in the topping of my Bobotie that worked okay too. Later I grew more confident and made a full-blown dessert, which came out as expected. Phew! And with no ill effects!
The Bottom Line
Even though I’m a proper health freak, I prefer not to use fat-reduced products. It would be great if they come out with full fat versions as well as a range of products like yogurt and cream. That being said now that I’m aware of this great product, I’ll definitely be using it more in my cooking.