Types of Cheeses You Can Eat If You're Lactose-Intolerant

Photo by Marc Babin on Unsplash

Being lactose-intolerant may feel like a curse to some because really, who can resist the wonderous taste of cheese? I have friends who’d rather go through the motions of bloating and bad stomachs than to give up cheese altogether. If you’re lactose-intolerant and reading this, luckily for you that not all cheeses are made equal! In fact, there are several types of cheese that naturally contain a lesser amount of lactose which you might be able to enjoy in moderation.

Since lactose is the sugar found in milk, one way to shop for cheese with a peace of mind is to take a look at their sugar content, and the lower amount of sugar found in it, the better it is for your stomach.

[caption id="attachment_8829" align="alignnone" width="900"] Ricotta - Italian whey cheese with fresh basil leaves[/caption]

Cheese with <5g lactose:

Look for fresh, unripe cheese like mozzarella, cream cheese, and ricotta cheese.

Photo by Allie on Unsplash

Cheese with <0.5g lactose:

Look for natural, aged cheese like Cheddar, Parmesan, Blue, Swiss and Camembert cheese.

Types of cheese with high lactose levels:

Made by melting natural cheese to stop the aging process and then adding other ingredients including milk, processed cheese foods, and cheese spreads contain a high amount of lactose and those who are lactose-intolerant should avoid them!

I know, it can be a hassle to take note of what you’re getting all the time but let me tell you that it’ll be worth it! Of course, there are some people whose stomachs are super sensitive and should avoid dairy altogether. But if you're one of lucky ones who still can take in a small amount of lactose, check out this rule of thumb that can ease the hassle of your cheese shopping:  Look for natural aged cheese with <0.5g lactose!