Doctors have an expression that they use: "dose dependent." This
means that people will sometimes not
have side effects to a certain medication or substance until they eat
more than a certain amount. The side effects are "dependent" on
the "dose."
This is true for many people who have trouble with eating
foods that contain lactose. Some can
have 1/4 cup of milk on their cereal and not have problems but will
experience symptoms if they drink a full glass of milk. Other people
will have problems with as little as two tablespoons. Many people who
cannot tolerate fresh milk can eat milk that has been cultured—like
sour cream, yogurt and cheese—but,
again, there are those who have problems
with even these.
The recipes on my site have been placed into three categories: Lactose
Free, Cheese-Containing
Recipes, and Borderline
Recipes. The Borderline category has dishes that have some milk
but may not be a problem because there's only a little milk or dairy
products. Some people may be able to tolerate these and others not.
Unfortunately, for most people with lactose intolerance, trial and
error is the only way to know for sure just how much dairy will cause
a problem.