Knowing how much lactose in food, in case of lactose intolerance, helps prevent the onset of symptoms, such as cramps or gas. This is because in most cases it is possible to eat foods containing up to about 10 grams of lactose without the symptoms being very strong.
In this way, it is easier to make a diet with less lactose, knowing which foods are more tolerable and which ones should be avoided completely.
However, to compensate for the possible extra need for calcium due to the restriction of foods with lactose, see a list of some foods rich in calcium without milk.
Food Lactose Table
The table below lists the approximate amount of lactose in the most common dairy foods, so it is easier to know which foods to avoid and those that can be eaten, even in a small amount.
| Foods with more lactose (which should be avoided) | |
| Food (100 g) | Amount of lactose (g) |
| Whey Protein | 75 |
| Condensed skimmed milk | 17.7 |
| Condensed whole milk | 14.7 |
| Flavored Philadelphia Cheese | 6.4 |
| Whole cow's milk | 6.3 |
| Skimmed cow's milk | 5.0 |
| Natural yogurt | 5.0 |
| Cheddar cheese | 4.9 |
| White sauce (béchamel) | 4.7 |
| Chocolate milk | 4.5 |
| Whole Goat Milk | 3.7 |
| Foods with less lactose (which can be eaten in small quantities) | |
| Food (100 g) | Amount of lactose (g) |
| Loaf bread | 0.1 |
| Muesli cereals | 0.3 |
| Cookie with chocolate chips | 0.6 |
| Type cookie | 0.8 |
| butter | 1.0 |
| Stuffed cake | 1.8 |
| Cottage cheese | 1.9 |
| Cheese Philadephia | 2.5 |
| Ricotta cheese | 2.0 |
| Mozzarella cheese | 3.0 |
A good hint to decrease the symptoms of lactose intolerance is to consume consuming foods with more lactose along with other lactose-free foods. Thus, the lactose is less concentrated and the contact with the intestine is less, so there can be no pain or gas formation.
Lactose is present in all types of milk and therefore it is not recommended to replace cow's milk with another type of milk, such as goat. However, soy, rice, almond, quinoa or oatmeal beverages, although popularly known as "milk", lack lactose and are good alternatives for those who have lactose intolerance.
If you are lactose intolerant, watch this video from your nutritionist:
But if you are not sure yet if you have lactose intolerance read this article: How to know if it is lactose intolerance.
