Bring back the cheese!

The thought of dairy makes me bloat. Yes, this should be enough to break it off with dairy completely, but we have developed such a loving relationship. Okay, so the relationship is a bit one sided, but how can something that feels so right be so wrong?

It isn't. Lactose intolerant, meet aged cheddar. The stomach abuse stops here.

Aged cheddar contains less than 1g of lactose. No lactose means no pain. I think I've found my match. What's more, aged cheddar is not the only match. I can cheat on aged cheddar with other hard cheeses like Swiss and Parmesan. But since my stomach has given the latter mixed reviews, I am currently just exploring the wonders of aged cheddar.

In my experience, the best types of aged cheddar come from Cabot. They print "0g lactose" under the nutrition facts so I can put my cheese skepticism to rest. Even if the packaging doesn't explicitly say the grams of lactose in the cheese, look at the sugar content. Since lactose is milk sugar, a 0% sugar content should mean it's lactose free. Remember to ALWAYS read the nutrition facts. The nutrition facts hold the key to the universe. Well, at least the key to your stomach. Missing one small ingredient can wreak havoc on the rest of your day.

My only qualm with Cabot is that it's a little on the soft side. I like my cheddar hard! Luckily, there is a variety of aged cheddar that you can use to cheese up your favorite pastas, salads and chips. Mix it up and try different flavors. My favorite flavor thus far, though a bit unconventional, is Horseradish. My only caution is to be wary of the low fat aged cheddar. For reasons unknown to me, the results have been somewhat unsatisfactory.

I want to point out that my cheese advice, as well as all the advice in my blog, should be taken with a grain of salt, unless your allergic. Even though we may have similar dietary needs, everyone’s body reacts differently. Remember to experiment. Try one product at a time and see how it effects you. If you end up lying in a fetal position popping Antacids, take note and steer clear of the product.