If you’re a yogurt lover who is lactose intolerant, you might have wondered how it’s possible to enjoy this delicious dairy product without experiencing unpleasant symptoms like upset stomach, gas, and diarrhea. After all, yogurt is made from milk, which naturally contains lactose – a sugar that can be difficult for many people to digest.
The good news is that there are several lactose-free yogurt brands on the market that offer a tasty and healthy alternative to traditional yogurt. While most yogurt products do contain lactose, some exceptions exist. The exceptions are lactose-free yogurt and dairy-free yogurt.
To understand how lactose-free yogurt is made, it’s important to know that lactase is the enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose. Normally, the small intestine produces lactase, which breaks down lactose so that it is easier to digest. However, people who are lactose intolerant do not naturally produce enough lactase, which makes it difficult to digest lactose and can bring on uncomfortable symptoms.
To create lactose-free yogurt, manufacturers add lactase as an ingredient during the production process. This breaks down the lactose in the milk, resulting in a yogurt that is easier to digest for many lactose-intolerant individuals.
Dairy-free yogurt is different than lactose-free yogurt because it is not made from cow or mammal milk. Rather, dairy-free yogurt is made from plant-based milks such as almond, oat, soy, coconut, or cashew milk. The absence of dairy in this type of yogurt eliminates any concerns related to consuming lactose.
Below you will find the top lactose-free and dairy-free yogurt brands which you might consider if you are dealing with the challenges of lactose intolerance or have a sensitivity to dairy.
Lactose Free Yogurt Brands
The following are the popular lactose-free yogurt brands found at grocery stores. Keep in mind that while these are free of lactose, they do still contain real milk and they are a dairy products. People who are allergic to dairy should avoid lactose-free yogurt.
Yoplait Lactose Free (USA) – Strawberry, French Vanilla
Green Valley Organic (USA) – Plain, Vanilla, Strawberry, Blueberry
Fage BestSelf (USA) – Plain
Activia (USA) – Vanilla, Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Cherry, Peach, Lemon-Lime, Mango, Mandarin-Orange, Pomegranate-Berry, Raspberry-Lychee
Liddells (Australia) – Plain, Vanilla Bean, Mango, Strawberry, Blueberry
Arla (UK) – Plain, Vanilla, Blueberry, Mango
Dairy-Free Yogurt Brands
You can see from the selection of lactose-free yogurt brands above that the available flavors are not overwhelming. For additional options, you might consider one of the dairy-free yogurts below made from soy, almond, coconut, or another plant-based milk. They do not contain lactose because they do not contain real milk.
Siggi’s (Plant- Based: Coconut Milk) – Peach, Toasted Coconut, Vanilla, Plain, Strawberry, Vanilla & Cinnamon, Mixed Berries, Mango, Raspberry
Oui by Yoplait (Plant Based: Coconut Milk) – Vanilla, Strawberry, Raspberry, Mango, Coconut
So Delicious (Plant-Based: Coconut Milk) – Unsweetened Plain, Plain, Peach, Raspberry, Strawberry, No Sugar Added Strawberry, Blueberry, No Sugar Added Blueberry, Vanilla, No Sugar Added Vanilla, Coconut, Coco Almond Crunch, Salted Caramel Cluster, Key Lime Pie, Key Lime, Chocolate.
Silk (Plant-Based: Almond Milk) – Peach, Dark Chocolate, Strawberry, Mixed Berry Acai, Unsweet Vanilla, Plain, Vanilla
Silk (Plant-Based: Soy Milk) – Peach Mango, Blueberry, Strawberry, Plain, Vanilla
Silk Greek Style (Plant Based: Coconut Milk) – Vanilla, Strawberry, Lemon, Blueberry
Nancy’s (Plant Based: Oat Milk) – Plain, Vanilla, Blueberry, Strawberry Hibiscus, Passionfruit Banana
Kite Hill (Plant Based: Almond Milk) – Plain , Unsweetened Plain, Vanilla, Peach, Blueberry, Strawberry, Key Lime, Protein Blueberry, Protein Vanilla, Protein Strawberry, Protein Plain Unsweetened, Plain Unsweetened Greek Style, Vanilla Unsweetened Greek Style
Forager (Plant Based: Cashew Milk) – Unsweetened Plain, Unsweetened Vanilla Bean, Honey Alternative, Vanilla Bean, Blueberry, Strawberry, Peach
Oatly (Plant Based: Oat Milk) – Plain, Strawberry, Peach, Mixed Berry, Vanilla
Culina (Plant Based: Coconut) – Strawberry Rose, Plain & Simple, Bourbon Vanilla, Blue Lavender, Sour Cherry Almond, Mango Orange Blossom, Pumpkin Spice
Final Thoughts
Lactose-free yogurt brands provide a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional yogurt for those who are lactose intolerant. As shown above, you have multiple options if you wish to enjoy yogurt without consuming lactose. There is no need to let lactose intolerance come between you and your love for yogurt. We hope you find a yogurt you’ll enjoy for many days going forward!
Please bring back Lactose Free Cherry Flavored Yogurt, my handicapped daughter needs it in her diet, and she really likes it. A lot of people really like that flavor and buy it. Cherry flavor is good for her stomach to, we are using peach right now but I really would like to have both brands in our store. please let me know why you discontinued it. thank you so much.
You will have to contact the specific manufacturer of the yogurt that was discontinued. We just write articles about dairy. Hopefully you can influence them to bring back the flavor that your daughter enjoys. I wish you luck!