B Vitamins – All veggies worth their salt should do their best to know why Vitamins B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cyancobalmin), folate, pantothenic acid and biotin are so important! The names might seem confusing but these nutrients help us to convert the carbohydrates in our food into energy. They are needed for the metabolism of amino acids, rapidly dividing cells and the metabolism of fat. You can consume most of these B-vitamins in wholegrain cereals (especially wheatgerm), nuts, pulses, seeds and green leafy vegetables. However B12 is the one to watch out for as it usually isn’t present in plant foods. You’ll find it in dairy produce and eggs, yeast extracts (such as Marmite), some soya drinks, veggie burgers and fortified breakfast cereals. It’s always worth checking the ingredients list! And be warned: diets lacking in B vitamins may lead to multiple deficiency diseases, including Beriberi (see below).
Bacon – No, not that cut of meat taken from the sides, belly, or back of a pig (or the early 17th century English statesman and philosopher) but the delicious low fat, low calorie veggie alternative which is perfect for sandwiches, fry-ups and cooked breakfasts. The recent World Cancer Research Fund report pointed out that there is strong evidence that processed meats are causes of bowel cancer, and that there is no amount of processed meat that can be confidently shown not to increase risk. It concluded that processed meats such as bacon should be avoided!
Baklava – A rich dessert of flaky pastry, honey and nuts. Not to be confused with a balaclava.
Barley – A versatile cereal crop which grows in a number of climatic conditions and is a major food crop in many parts of the world. In the UK it is mainly used to make beer, whiskey and malted drinks! Whole barley grains, pot barley and pearl barley can be added to soups or stews and barley flakes are often added to muesli and other breakfast cereal mixes. Barley provides useful amounts of the minerals copper, phosphorus and zinc. Barley is rich in fibre, particularly the soluble fibres beta glucan and pectin – that’s the type that can help lower high blood cholesterol.
Barn Eggs - The Vegetarian Society has seven simple guidelines on free-range eggs which give consumers complete reassurance on important animal welfare standards. We will not approve barn eggs or products that include them as an ingredient! Barn eggs are taken from hens kept in large windowless sheds with several rows of perches at different heights. In these converted barns, you’ll normally find anything from 9 to 12 hens per square metre. Many hens are unable to lay eggs in nest boxes, so instead lay them on the floor where they may be eaten by other birds, or risk contamination from hen poo!
Bean curd – There are numerous different styles of bean curd, as well as an assortment of ways in which the substance can be used. It’s made using… beans! Tofu is soya bean curd made from coagulated soya milk which is then pressed into molds to solidify. The result is a block of white, neutrally flavoured material which can be used in a wide assortment of dishes and is arguably one of the most remarkable food-substances ever! Tofu is a great source of protein, calcium, iron and B vitamins.
Beavers – Vegetarian rodents with two big front teeth that never stop growing and have to be kept short by gnawing on trees and plants. They don’t eat fish but are famous for building dams in rivers and dams. They’ve got webbed feet, hairless scaly tails, poor eyesight but a good sense of hearing, smell and touch.
Beriberi – No, not an exotic, idyllic island for veggies in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! Unfortunately it’s much, much worse than that being an unpleasant disease you’ll get if you don’t eat your B-vitamins, particularly B1 (thiamin)! It leads to inflammation of the nerves and cardiac disorder so perhaps it is best to eat your greens, yeast extract, brazil nuts, peanuts, rice, bran, oatmeal, flour, wholemeal bread and sunflower seeds after all!
Brassicas – Vegetables from the brassica family include: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, swede, turnip, kohlrabi, kale and mustard. Brassica vegetables are highly regarded for their nutritional value so at the risk of sounding like my old mum yet again, it really does make sense to eat your greens (yellows and whites).
Broiler chickens – Broilers are chickens that have been selectively bred and reared for their meat rather than eggs. The industry began in the late 1950’s and there are approximately 116 million broilers in the UK at any one time. Almost 800 million broiler chickens were slaughtered in the UK in 2007.
Buckwheat – A type of fruit seed which is gluten-free (and therefore good for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains) and not a true cereal because it belongs to the grass family. It’s very rich in calcium, can be used as a substitute for rice and added to casseroles and stews. Buckwheat flour is also great in cakes and pancakes and there are also rumours of a buckwheat noodle-cum-spaghetti called soba!
By-product – A secondary product that is made as a result of the manufacturing of another product. Leather and gelatine are both by-products of the meat industry.
A is for…
Aardvark cucumbers - The only fruit eaten by the aardvark, a cuddly nocturnal solitary creature, native of Subsaharan Africa, that otherwise feeds almost exclusively on ants and termites, has very good hearing and is an exceptionally fast digger. Aardvark cucumbers are also known as aardvark pumpkins or aardvark dung. They fruit underground and have their seeds propagated through faeces. Perhaps best not to ask for it in your local greengrocers…
Abernethy – A hard biscuit, usually suitable for veggies, often flavoured with caraway seeds and sometimes described as a cross between an all-butter and shortcake. A good dunker.
Activism – A deliberate action (or inaction!) designed to bring about change. Perhaps something like writing to your headteacher about improved veggie school meals! Author Alice Walker claims that activism is her rent for living on this planet.
Additives – See E numbers!
Albumen – Another name for egg white. Must be free-range to get The Vegetarian Society seal of approval.
Alcohol – When you’re old enough to be tempted keep an eye out for animal derived products that are often used in the fining or clearing process or as colourants and anti-foaming agents in alcohol.
Alpaca - Usually refers to the hair of the Peruvian alpaca, a relative of the llama, but can also be a style of fabric originally made from alpaca hair. Might be produced from similar fibres, such as mohair or sheep wool.
Anchovies - Small shiny, silver fish similar to herring, not to be confused with sardines and often unfortunately found on pizzas and in some brands of Worcester sauce. Anchovies are abundant in the Mediterranean and are a significant food source for almost every predatory fish, marine mammal and bird. As its population plummets due to commercial over-fishing the number of predatory species is also sadly expected to decline.
Angora - A fibre obtained from a special breed of rabbit. The rabbits are not killed for their wool, but sheared regularly. They are kept in cages in much the same way as rabbits bred for meat, but as they have a longer commercial life, their suffering might be said to be even worse. Males produce only about 75% of the wool yield of females and so are often routinely killed at birth.
Animals – The most common reason for becoming a meat and fish-free zone is because we know it’s wrong to kill animals for food and we’re opposed to the pain and cruelty inflicted upon animals reared for meat. Disagree? See the 'Why Go Veggie' pages.