Lactose Free Diet in Hospital
Patient information leaflets
NHS Borders
Catering Department
Borders General Hospital
MELROSE
TD6 9BS
tel:01896 826138
"Information given on this site is not meant to take the place of a talk with your doctor or health worker."
Lactose Free Diet
We are able to offer a low lactose diet as well as a lactose free die while you are in hospital. If you are lactose intolerant you may be able to tolerate small amounts of lactose. A low lactose diet will include a wider variety of foods than a lactose free diet. A lactose free diet will contain no lactose but will be more restricted in terms of choice of foods we can offer.
You will be given a standard patient menu to make your meal choices. As all meals are cooked on site we are able to adapt the majority of meals to be low lactose or lactose free.
It is important to ensure that your menu is marked as ‘Low Lactose’ or ‘Lactose Free’ so the catering staff know to adapt your menu choices. This can be done by writing ‘Low Lactose’ or ‘Lactose Free’ in the box labelled ‘diet label'. Your menu will then be checked by the catering department and if required, your food choices will be adapted so that they are lactose free.
Some dishes are unable to be adapted to be Lactose free. If we are unable to adapt an item that you have chosen catering staff will phone the ward with suitable alternatives.
The low fat spread on the menu is suitable for a lactose free diet. We can also provide lactose free bedtime snacks: If you would like a bedtime snack please ask the nursing staff who can request these for you.
The foods listed below can be ordered as extras if you would prefer something different to that on the patient menu. You can order these by writing them on your menu.
Menu Extras
Cold Meat Salad
Baked Potato (with baked beans)
Omelette
Sandwich
Jelly
Fresh Fruit
Tinned Fruit
Soya Yoghurt
Soya Dessert