SIDE DISHES!

Okay. So you're in a restaurant faced with the decision of which side dish to order. If you're lactose intolerant, that decision can be overwhelming.

Some old standbys are:

baked potato (PLAIN with NO sour cream or butter)

vegetable (corn, green beans or steamed broccoli)- you want to ask for them to be cooked with NO butter

french fries

applesauce

rice (rice pilaf or plain rice as long as it is cooked with NO butter)

jello (sometimes restaurants will offer this)

garden salad (as long as you order NO croutons and NO cheese)

salad dressing (make sure it contains NO dairy products)...some great options are balsamic viniagrette or Italian, but check to make sure there's no parmesan cheese in the Italian dressing

Of course, these are just some of your options. Every restaurant you go to will be different. If you go a Japanese, Chinese or French restaurant, for example, your options will be different. And as I said before, don't hestitate to ask your waiter/waitress for some help. Usually they'll help you.