All varieties of Cool Whip have long contained sodium caseinate*, or milk protein, making them off limits for those who are allergic to casein or who choose to live dairy-free. However, several varieties, including the Original Cool Whip, were lactose-free, and used by many people who are lactose intolerant.

Unfortunately for those individuals, Kraft Foods has announced an ingredient change for the Original version of Cool Whip, "Kraft Foods would like you to know that it recently changed the recipe for the Original variety of Cool Whip whipped topping so that it now contains additional milk ingredients, including cream." This means that the new version will contain some lactose. A better option may be TruWhip, which still appears to be lactose-free (and has a better ingredient list overall), but does contain casein. Be sure to read the labels to ensure a product is safe for you.

Okay, I know what some of you are thinking, who won the last two giveaways? I was on vacation, and unfortunately couldn't get internet access to wrap up those giveaways (yes, the last week or two of posts was scheduled - I confess!). So what I am going to do is announce the winners of all three giveaways next Tuesday, and I will leave them all open for entry until then! So if you missed out on entering the Divvies Cookbook Giveaway or the Vegan Dessert Cookbook Giveaway, you can still enter those and this one through Monday, August 30th.

This week's giveaway is from one of my favorite publishers, Vegan Heritage Press. One winner will receive a copy of each of the following cookbooks:

Q: Wendy - I am wondering if there is a lactose-free product available that is similar to nutritional beverages like Ensure?  Also, any other product suggestions for lactose intolerance would be greatly appreciated. 

A: Alisa - Ensure is a unique one since it has quite a few sugars and processed ingredients. I don’t know of a lactose-free or dairy-free product that attempts to do the exact same thing. There are some up and coming dairy-free and vegan meal replacement options and nutritional supplements, which I address below, but just to give you an idea of what you are trying to replace, the following is the ingredient list for Ensure …

Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook is now available via Navan Foods and Benefit Your Life, two special diet retailers with both online and retail store presence. Though Go Dairy Free has been available from major retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble since it was published, we are working to partner with smaller, well-established retailers that offer a stronger product focus for our readers.

Navan Foods is quickly becoming the top food allergy online retailer, with a solid customer base in their Virginia retail store also. They go above and beyond with quick icons for foods free-from egg, wheat, gluten, dairy, soy, yeast, corn, sesame, peanuts, tree nuts, sulfites, shellfish, fish, potato, and/or rice. They also cater to special diet needs / wants for Vegan, Organic, Kosher, Diabetic Friendly, Non-GMO, Fair Trade, Gluten Free Certified (GFCO), All Natural, Low Fat, Low Cholesterol, Low Sodium, and Sugar Free. They offer free shipping throughout the U.S. for all orders over $100.