Those with lactose-intolerance may have difficulty finding foods that satisfy them, especially in the morning. Many breakfast foods, such as cereal and pastries, contain ingredients that these individuals cannot eat. Fortunately, a satisfying lactose-free breakfast generally only requires a little creativity. Some individuals may find the most success avoiding dairy products altogether, while others may prefer replacing the dairy in traditional breakfast foods with lactose-free products.
One of the simplest ways to prepare a lactose-free breakfast is to simply omit dairy products. The meal itself, for example, might consist of eggs with tomatoes and mushrooms scrambled into them. Capers or chopped olives can be sprinkled on top, instead of cheese. A side of toast might feature peanut butter, almond butter, or sesame butter. Some might even enjoy sesame butter combined with preserves or honey. A small bowl of fresh fruit could round out the meal.
In terms of morning beverages, a glass of milk might be replaced with calcium-fortified orange juice, apple juice, or even tomato juice. Hot beverages can include herbal tea or black tea with a little sugar and a squeeze of lemon. Those that have to drink coffee could learn to drink it black, or use a dairy-free creamer.
Oatmeal, quinoa, and chia seeds may be soaked overnight in fruit juice, flavored teas, coffee, or water and heated the next morning for breakfast. A little brown sugar, honey, some dried fruit, or pureed pumpkin might give this breakfast additional flavor and sweetness. This meal is also fast, and can be portable if it is poured into a small food container with a lid.
Another option for making a lactose-free breakfast involves simply replacing dairy products with substitute products. For instance, morning breakfast cereal may be eaten with nut milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, or oat milk. These milk substitutes may also be used to create lactose-free breakfast foods like pancakes, muffins, waffles, and breakfast cookies. Milk substitutes may also be used in breakfast smoothies.
Yet another option for making a lactose-free breakfast involves using fermented dairy products like probiotic yogurt and kefir milk. Many lactose-intolerant individuals can eat these products because the lactose is broken down during the fermentation process. This may not always be the case, but those that can eat yogurt and kefir milk have a wealth of lactose-free breakfast options.
Yogurt can also turn ordinary breakfast cereal and bananas into delicious, on-the-go parfaits. It can also become the main ingredient in smoothies or replace some of the liquid in pastry recipes. Kefir milk, which is slightly soured, may not be palatable as a milk replacement to some, buy may go undetected in recipes. Those that find kefir milk tasty may enjoy it on cereal or as a beverage first thing in the morning.