But just be careful of most halloumi

Like most people over the years, I’m constantly bombarded with exhortations to consider healthy food options, try alternative forms of exercise and find time to be mindful.

I can get mindfulness out the way pretty easily: writing immerses me in the moment, and I like to meditate and daydream. As far as exercise goes, I’ve been a bodybuilder most of my adult life and a boxer half of it, so finding various yoga positions to bend myself into a pretzel is pretty much out of the question.

That leaves me with the healthy eating option. Being a vegetarian since my early 20s has done me some good, as I sleep better knowing I haven’t hurt any animal to momentarily tingle my tastebuds, however it hasn’t kept me thin.

“Blame it on the weather”, my mum used to joke, but I largely blame it on bread and pasta and pastry and sugar being very much on the list of vegetarian yesses.

Before you flip open your notebook and start jotting down healthy options, listing all the lovely bean dishes with wads of hot bread and the 101 ways you can eat halloumi, there are some things you need to consider – and halloumi is one of them.

When I first became a vegetarian, the only suitable items on restaurant menus were salad and chips – not that I minded, of course, but it does remove the element of surprise.

Then soya in chunks hit the shelves and I could soak them in hot water and make all kinds of rubbery dishes.

Over the past few years, vegetarianism and veganism have been gaining momentum in Cyprus and this is evident by the options now available in restaurants, which are not restricted to superfood salads that can only be extracted from between your teeth with a combination of picks and flossers.

So, do vegetarians have a lot in common and is it worth adding a meatless diet to your New Year resolutions?

The first thing vegetarians share is the feeling that “It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been worth it.”

The reasons we turned vegetarian are pretty much the same.

One became vegetarian at the age of ten when she learned about “mass animal farming and how horribly animals suffer just so that people can eat them.”

Another was watching YouTube videos and documentaries talking about animal cruelty and veganism and made the shift to a meatless diet when she was 19. 

I was 22 when I was sent to report on a labour dispute at an abattoir and that did it for me – that was 33 years ago.

We always get asked “But where do you get your protein from?”

There are plenty of non-meat sources of protein and if in doubt follow the Greek fasting rules. With a whopping 90 days before major holidays per year of strictly vegan food and plenty of other days in between, all you have to do is ask for the nistisimo option or advice from friends.

One thing about being vegetarian is the cost. A plant-based burger in the frozen section costs much more than a hamburger. However, this has not been a deterrent for anyone who chose to go vegetarian.

Things get a little tricky at home and on the social sphere, when people cook at home. Vegetarians all agree, though, that people are more understanding now and restaurants cater for more dietary choices.

This said, none of us believe there is a worst part about being vegetarian, as the pros outweigh the cons, which include lack of variety and people’s defensiveness or ‘bacon, tho’ jokes.

And going into the silly questions, we all remember My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Aunt Voula’s “He don’t eat meat? That’s OK, I make lamb.”

The funniest question I’ve ever been asked was if I eat meat when no one is looking. No, I don’t. Others have been asked if they miss sheftalia or if the cravings for meat get too intense.

Card up your sleeve: I just say I’m fasting and ask for nistisimo food. No one disputes that.

Going vegan might demand a bit more navigating, but if you’re considering cutting out meat for a healthier lifestyle now is much easier than a few years back. Snacks are easy too, as peanut butter is great in sarnies.

Party pooper check-the-label-first fact: Being in Cyprus, the ever versatile and infinitely abundant and popular halloumi is a great option for vegetarians. Sorry to actually have to do this, but traditionally halloumi contains rennet, so, no, it is not all suitable for vegetarians.