Lactose intolerance; the inability to consume foods with lactose affects a large percentage of people worldwide. It is caused by the lack of an enzyme lactase in the small intestine, which is responsible for breaking down lactose. The best treatment for lactose intolerance is simply to avoid all dairy.
For some it is enough to simply avoid obvious dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream. Other individuals find it necessary to remove all sources of dairy, no matter how small, from their diet.  For either group it means an adjustment in how they cook their meals.

When cooking for the lactose intolerant individual you have a few choices, it is best to stay away from processed foods since most of them contain dairy in some form or another. You have the option to go to your local health food store and purchase dairy free convenience foods such as baking mixes, pancake mixes, and meals but they are expensive, so if time is not a factor cooking your own foods from scratch is a much more affordable alternative.

Fortunately dairy is fairly easy to replace, soy or rice milk can substitute for cow’s milk in most recipes.  Meaning you can use many of the recipes you already have, by simply substituting out the milk, using a dairy free margarine, and avoiding ingredients that may include dairy by-products.

Rice milk tends to be a bit thinner than other milks, so if you are using it for sauces or baking you may find you need to reduce the amount of milk or increase the amount of dry ingredients a bit to compensate for that.  Another nice touch for sauces is coconut milk; it has the same thickness and texture as heavy dairy cream, so works well in things such as curries or casseroles.

For cheese in recipes, there are a number of lactose free cheeses that melt well, and taste great that will work well in your recipes.  For soft cheeses such as ricotta and for sauces that ask for yogurt, a soft creamy tofu, with a touch of lemon juice added, can be used in their place.

After you have modified all your own recipes, if you are still looking for more inspiration the internet is full of dairy free recipe sites and there are a number of books on the subject as well.  You will not lack for inspiration or recipes and you will find over time that cooking dairy free is both simple and tasty.