The Vegetarian Society of Bermuda is urging Bermudians to colour their diet green today.

March 20 is world-wide Meat-Out Day.

"Meat-Out Day is a day promoted by vegetarians and vegetarian organisations," said Nicole Stovell of the Vegetarian Society of Bermuda.

Ms Stovell runs the Natural Cleaning Business, which uses hypoallergenic and non-toxic products to clean homes and offices.

She said Meat-Out Day isn't necessarily for vegetarians who already eliminate meat from the diet, but for the general public.

"It is about bringing awareness of the benefits of consuming less meat," she said.

Ms Stovell said it is good to consume less meat or no meat for health reasons, and also environmental reasons.

"It extends so much further than health," she said. "We know that the meat production industry is one of the most ecologically detrimental industries in the world.

"Even just eliminating meat from your diet for 24 hours you are making a difference positively. That is essentially what that day is focused around."

She said for lunch that day people in town can try Rock Island Cafe which is becoming meatless, House of India, East Meets West or the Natural Link Restaurant at 22 Curving Avenue, Pembroke.

"The Natural Link is Bermuda's only vegetarian restaurant," she said. "It is probably one of the lesser known places."

Meat-Out Day is a world-wide effort that originated in North America.

"That is where it is celebrated most," said Ms Stovell. "We as the Vegetarian Society will be highlighting it this year, and in years to come. We do have information available at Natural Link, Rock Island Cafe and at Contours Gym about the benefits of kicking the meat habit and being more planet friendly with your diet."

Ms Stovell has been a vegetarian for nine years, and vegan (no meat or animal byproducts) for eight years.

"It wasn't hard for me to make the switch," she said. "I find that most people tend to have one area that they may struggle with. My area was fish. I was a big fish lover. I didn't have any challenges coming off of other meats."

But she said this was partly because she was raised not eating a wide range of meats. She grew up only eating poultry, fish and very little red meat.

"I have found that typically people have one area that they struggle with," she said. "But it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be to come off of fish."

She said the transfer to veganism took about a year.

"That was pretty easy because of my specific reasons," she said. "That also is consistent with most vegetarians I have spoken with.

"If you are clear on your reasons, that is what will keep you motivated. If you have no idea why you are doing this and you are not consistently informing yourself along the way, that is the difference whether you may stay grounded in it or not."

She decided to become a vegetarian when she was studying at York University in Canada.

"I wasn't enjoying the largely meat-based meals at my university," she said. "I had a roommate who was vegetarian."

Her roommate told her about the benefits of vegetarianism.

"My main reason is environmentally based," she said. "The single most beneficial thing you can do for the planet is to become a vegetarian in some shape or form.

"If you have the strength to become a vegan, better still. Along with that were the health benefits. For myself it was equally spiritual, health and environmental related."

Ms Stovell said her reasons for being vegan have strengthened over the years, as she has become more informed.

One side benefit to becoming vegetarian was that she lost quite a bit of weight.

"I was happy about that, but that wasn't my reason for becoming vegetarian," she said. "I will also add that another reason was ethic based."

The Vegetarian Society of Bermuda has been in the planning stages in terms of reinvigoration for the last year.

"That came out of the fact that a few of us found that there is a lot of ignorance in Bermuda about vegetarianism," she said. "We wanted to bring some awareness to that."

Organisers also wanted to create an outlet where vegetarians could meet other vegetarians regularly, and eat comfortably.

"Unfortunately, Bermuda only has one vegetarian restaurant," she said. "And that is Natural Link. Rock Island recently decided to become meatless. I don't know what their long term agenda is.

"They don't necessarily cater to a wide range of vegetarians, although we are appreciative of their work. Bermuda has no full-fledged dining atmosphere that vegetarians can go into and know that no animal-based meals will be provided. We would like to see that happen in Bermuda at some point."

She said members also enjoy meeting other vegetarians and getting together for potlucks where everyone is clear on what is being served.

The Vegetarian Society of Bermuda, which currently has a mailing list of around 40, is organising a potluck at the Botanical Gardens on April 13 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. to the south of the Visitors Centre.

Dishes will be marked so people can eat comfortably regardless of what type of vegetarian they are. The event is free.

Contact the organisation through Facebook on the Bermuda network or email them at vsbda1@yahoo.com.