The A-Z of vegetarianism
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G is for...
Game: Any wild animal usually hunted for food or sport. In the UK this might include rabbits, ducks, grouse, pheasants and deer but will vary from country to country and can even refer to animals like elephants
Gammon: A cut of bacon or ham. The word derives from the Old Northern French word ‘Gambe’ for hind leg of the pig.
Garlic See Veg of the Month-July
Gazpacho: A tomato-based soup that is eaten cold! Originally from the southern region of Andalusia in Spain and usually made from tomatoes, olive oil, peppers and cucumbers.
Gelatin / Gelatine: A by-product of the slaughterhouse industry, made from animal ligaments, skin and tendons and therefore totally unsuitable for vegetarians. Sometimes found in chewy sweets, cakes and biscuits. Drug and medicine capsules are also often made from gelatine although vegetarian alternatives are becoming more widely available.
Gelato: An Italian ice cream which is usually veggie-friendly. Fortunately the word gelato is not related to gelatin, literally meaning "frozen" or “ice cream” in Italian. It is typically made with fresh fruit or other ingredients such as chocolate, nuts, small sweets or biscuits.
Genetic engineering: See Frankenstein Foods!
Gherkin: A small cucumber-like vegetable, usually pickled in vinegar. It has been claimed that running an electrical current through a pickled gherkin will cause it to glow like a fluorescent light, whereas pickling a fluorescent light will definitely not make it edible. Please do not try either of these at home. (Or school come to think of it!)
Glucose: Like the simplest bacteria, our body's primary source of energy takes the form of glucose which is regarded as a “simple” sugar. It is usually derived from digesting the sugar, starch and other carbohydrates in our food into a form that we can easily convert into energy. Carbohydrates are found in foods such as bread, rice, pasta, barley, millet, buckwheat, rye, and all plant foods
Gluten: A mixture of proteins found in some cereals, particularly wheat, and therefore in many types of bread. Not all foods from the grain family contain gluten. A gluten-free diet is not the same as a wheat-free diet, and some gluten-free foods are not wheat free. It is possible to follow a gluten-free vegetarian diet.
Glycaemic Index (GI): A measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels. The GI ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels over a period of two hours after the food is eaten. The rankings are between 1 and 100. A score of 70 or more is high, medium ranges from 56 to 69 and low is 55 or less. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI. Most fruit and vegetables, wholegrain breads, pasta, pulses and milk have a low GI. Corn flakes, rice krispies, baked potato, watermelon, white bread have a high GI.
Glycerine/Glycerol: A colourless, odourless chemical compound, sometimes found in foods and drinks. It can be produced from animal fats, synthesised from propylene or from fermentation of sugars and is therefore not always suitable for veggies.
Goats: For thousands of years, goats have been used for their milk, meat, hair, and skins over much of the world. In the twentieth century they have also gained in popularity as pets.
Goat’s Cheese: Several varieties of goat’s milk cheese are available but of course it is important for all veggies to ensure that whatever variety they choose is animal rennet-free.
Going Veggie
Goji Berry: Goji (also sometimes known as wolfberries) are small, red berries that contain relatively high levels of Vitamin C, Iron, Zinc, Selenium and Calcium. They have a similar shape and texture as raisins (but cost a lot more!) and are usually bought in their dried form.
Gooseberry: A small sour tasting fruit that comes in hundreds of varieties and is usually stewed before consumption. It has absolutely no relation to the gooseberry who accompanies a couple on a date. A gooseberry fool is a traditional English dessert generally made by mixing puréed berries, cream and sugar.
Gorgonzola: A veined Italian blue cheese that is not suitable for vegetarians.
Goulash: A stew or a soup originally from Hungary, traditionally made of beef, red onions, vegetables, spices and ground paprika powder but much more delicious when it ’s 100% vegetarian.
Gourd: A member of the pumpkin family, a gourd is the hollow, dried shell of the fruit, live fruit before it is dried, or the entire plant that produces that fruit! Hollowed out Gourds have a number of uses including storage bowls and the resonating chambers on some musical instruments! Birdhouse gourds are commonly used in southern USA for purple martins, which apparently help to control mosquito populations.
Grains: The staple foods of many civilisations for thousands of years. Wheat, barley, oats and rye in Europe, maize in America, quinoa in South America, rice in the East, and millet in Africa.
Grape Nuts: A breakfast cereal first developed in America in 1897. Neither grapes nor nuts have ever been ingredients and it is actually made from wheat and barley. The original recipe did, however, include grape sugar.
Greenhouse gases: So called because they act like the glass of a greenhouse, trapping heat from the sun to warm up the Earth. Most of these gases occur naturally and without them our planet would be too cold to sustain life, but the balance is a very delicate one. Click here for more information.
Greens: My old mum was right when she told me to “eat my greens!” A healthy diet packed with dark leafy greens such as cabbage, kale, chard, spinach and mustard leaf is full of vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, iron, folate and magnesium.
Gristle: Tough, cartilaginous, tendinous, or fibrous matter sometimes found in meat dishes! Mmmmm…
Grits: No it’s not for the road, it’s for your mouth! Grits were originally a Native American-based food but are now most commonly found in southern United States. Three-quarters of all the grits sold in the United States are sold in "the South" stretching from Texas to Virginia, also known as the "grits belt". Traditionally, the corn for grits is ground by a stone mill. The results are passed through screens, with the finer part being corn meal and the coarser being grits. Yellow grits include the whole kernel, while white grits use hulled kernels. Grits are easy to make! Simply boil the ground kernels in enough water until they form a porridge-like consistency.
Gruel: Usually made from oats, wheat or rye flour, sometimes even rice, that has been soaked for a long period of time or boiled in water or milk. It is a thin, watery porridge-type meal that can sometimes even be drunk. Historically it was often made from millet or barley and has been a fundamental part of the human diet since ancient Greek times. Eating gruel is sometimes associated with being poor, it was a staple food of Victorian workhouses and even made a couple of starring appearances in novels by Charles Dickens, but it can be a tasty and nutritious meal. In modern day Korea, it is considered a delicacy and there are even “gruel shops” in Seoul.
Guacamole: Don’t let the green mushy appearance put you off, this dip (usually made from avocados, lime juice, onions, coriander, and tomatoes) is lush with tortilla chips or any selection of breads!
Guava: A fruit which appears rough on the outside and is renowned for its bitter sweet taste on the inside. These so-called "superfruits", are known for being rich in vitamins A and C, and if the seeds are eaten too, they can supply omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Guava fruit is often prepared as a dessert and because of its skin's high level of pectin, boiled guava is also extensively used to make sweets, preserves, jellies, jams, marmalades, and also for juices. Guava juice is popular in Mexico, Egypt and South Africa. Red guavas can also substitute for tomatoes as the base for sauces.
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