Veg Advice: Lactose, Soy Intolerant, What To Eat?

Question: Lactose, soy intolerant vegetarian wants to know what to eat

I've been having digestion problems for as long as I can remember. I am soy and lactose intolorant. What can I eat as a main staple?

I really don't like fake meat, and I don't like to eat real meat every day. I have been looking into beans, and see that there are ways to cook them so you will have less gas, but you seem to still have "some" gas. Nuts these days are expensive.

What can I eat? I am tired of shoving food into my mouth just for the nutrients alone without being able to enjoy what I'm eating. - H.H.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Dear H.H.,

I sympathize with your predicament, since I'm also lactose and soy intolerant. I find I can eat small amounts of cheese or yogurt, and a little tofu, but that's it. But things are far from hopeless!

Gas is a natural part of digestion, and has it's own role to play in converting food to healthy bodies - we just need to avoid excessive and constant gas.

Beans are your best bet for protein and many other valuable nutrients. And nuts are expensive, but they are so packed with excellent nutrition that it's worth eating a few - you don't need very much, and if you don't go overboard, they are still much less expensive than meat. Whole grains are another source of vegetarian protein, especially combined with other foods.

Protein has been over-emphasized in North America, which is one big reason why our typical diet is so bad and boring! The thing is about a vegetarian diet - there isn't just one single thing you should eat as a protein staple. It's all the foods you eat taken together that give you balanced nutrition, including protein. See SV's vegetarian protein article

There are endless delicious combinations and variations for hundreds of ingredients in a vegetarian diet - no need to go hungry or eat blah food. Whether or not you decide to go all the way vegetarian, I suggest you get a good cookbook and start exploring. See SV's recommended cookbooks

I've attached a couple more free reports for you - Vegetarian Nutrition, and Beans Without Gas.

Blissful eating! Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

More SV Advice About Food Allergies and Intolerance