While there are many health benefits to vegetarian eating, merely removing animal products from your diet doesn’t automatically ensure good health. As with any diet, it’s important to know some basic nutrition information.

Staying physically active, avoiding foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is good advice for anyone. Fortunately, this isn’t hard for most vegetarians. However, there are some key nutrients to look out for:

Essential Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These fatty acids are important for a variety of reasons—including maintaining good heart and cardiovascular health—and it’s important to have a reliable source. Vegetarian foods with omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, ground flax seeds, flax oil, hempseed oil, canola oil, and supplements.

Vitamin B-12: When non-vegetarians consume animal products, they also ingest this vitamin that is made by bacteria in some animals’ bodies. Vegetarians can take a common multiple vitamin or B-12 supplement, or enjoy fortified cereals or soymilk to get a reliable source of B-12.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D may be more important than calcium for good bone health. Our bodies make the vitamin when we’re exposed to the sun. Spending some time outdoors everyday without sunscreen and, during the winter months, eating vitamin D-fortified foods or taking a supplement is a good idea for anyone, vegetarian or non-vegetarian.