If you’re choosing to ditch meat and become vegetarian, there are things registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) want you to keep in mind. Whether your vegetarian lifestyle includes some animal products like dairy foods, eggs, or fish and seafood, is up to you. No matter how you choose to be a vegetarian, the most important thing is to ensure that you still get foods with the nutrients your body needs to keep healthy.

RDNs have seen plenty of clients who were once omnivorous turn vegetarian. But when they make that transition, there are common misconceptions and eating patterns they see that can sabotage health efforts. Below you’ll find seven pitfalls RDNs commonly see in practice, and how you can eat a well-balanced, varied diet as a new vegetarian.

“Fruits and vegetables are important, but they don’t provide enough protein, healthy fats or key nutrients like iron, vitamin B12, calcium and zinc on their own,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, host of the Media Savvy Podcast, creator of BetterThanDieting.com, author of Read It Before You Eat It - Taking You from Label to Table. Taub-Dix explains that over time this kind of imbalance can zap your energy and lead to muscle loss and nutrient shortfalls. Plus, the lack of protein and healthy fats will also leave you feeling hungry and perhaps lead to unnecessary snacking.

Instead: Being vegetarian isn’t just about eating produce, it’s about picking the right mix of foods that provide all that you need. Taub-Dix says that you should focus on building a balanced plate including produce. Fruits and vegetables can be the stars of your show — but you need a supporting cast of whole grains, healthy fats and protein to round out your needs. Including protein-rich foods like beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, eggs, dairy, nuts and seeds helps make vegetarian meals satisfying and nutritionally sound.

Eating the same few protein sources can cause a problem “because not all protein sources have the same amino acid profile and individuals might miss out on key nutrients,” says media and community dietitian Alyssa Smolen, MS, RDN, CDN.

Instead: To avoid choosing the same protein sources all the time, try buying a different protein each week. Buy tofu and marinate it for dinner and the next week opt for beans to add to a hearty salad or chili. It’s a good way to get creative in the kitchen, mix up your protein sources, and get a variety of amino acids and important nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.

Iron can often be lacking among vegetarians, leading to low iron stores and potentially iron-deficiency anemia. Mandy Enright, the FOOD + MOVEMENT® Dietitian, worksite wellness specialist and author of 30-Minute Weight Loss Cookbook: 100+ Quick and Easy Recipes for Sustainable Weight Loss explains that the most absorbable form of iron is called heme iron, which is primarily found in animal proteins including red meat, seafood and poultry, and it’s 200 to 400-percent more bioavailable than the non-heme forms found in plant-based sources. The other type of iron is called non-heme iron, found in plant-based sources including beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruits and leafy greens. Non-heme iron is absorbed at a much slower rate, which can lead to low iron stores, fatigue and anemia. Because vegetarians tend to only consume sources of non-heme iron, this can put those individuals at higher risk of iron deficiency.

Instead: Enright says, “You don’t have to start eating animal protein if you want to get those iron stores up and remain a vegetarian.” As such, being more strategic with how you are preparing and consuming your plant-based sources of iron can help you get enough. Non-heme iron is better absorbed if the meal or snack includes vitamin C. Enright recommends sprinkling lemon juice on spinach, simmering beans in tomato sauce or eating a handful of nuts with an orange to pair the non-heme iron source with vitamin C.

Enright also recommends using iron cookware, such as a cast-iron pan, at higher temperatures and longer cooking times to help maximize iron absorption. The iron from the cookware can leach into the food you’re cooking and then ultimately get absorbed by you.

A vegetarian diet may lack omega-3 fats, especially DHA and EPA. “Seafood is a concentrated source of fully-formed omega-3s that the body can readily use. Balanced diets with adequate omega-3 fats are linked to better brain and heart health,” says Elizabeth Ward, MS, RDN owner of Better is the New Perfect.

Instead: If you’re a vegetarian who eats fish and seafood, choosing fatty fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel and anchovies several times a week can achieve the American Heart Association’s recommended amount of two 3-ounce cooked servings of fish (particularly fatty fish) per week.

Other ways you can get omega-3 fats include choosing foods fortified with omega-3s, like eggs and milk, nori and algae. There are also omega-3 DHA and EPA supplements that are sourced from algae.

Done right, a vegetarian diet can be a healthy, filling way to eat. However, “People sometimes struggle with feeling satiated when they give up meat — even if they continue to eat animal foods like dairy and eggs,” says nutritionist and health writer Sarah Garone, NDTR, CNC. Many people associate meat with a hearty, satiating meal, so it can be hard to make the mental switch to believing that vegetarian foods can truly fill you up, explains Garone. “More often, though, a lack of satiety has to do with the types of foods you choose on a vegetarian diet.” If you’re loading up on vegetarian foods that are high in quick-digesting simple carbs and low in protein and fiber, you’re likely to feel hungrier more often.

Instead: Garone recommends crafting vegetarian meals with plenty of filling fiber and hunger-fighting protein as these nutrients slow your digestion. These include satiating vegetarian options like beans, eggs, whole grains, tofu, Greek yogurt and nut butters. The more you build meals around protein- and fiber-rich foods, the more satiated you’re likely to feel on a meatless diet.

“When people transition to a vegetarian diet, it’s common to lean heavily on bread, pasta, cereals and grain-based snack foods simply because they’re convenient and accessible,” says health education consultant Drew Hemler, MSc, RD. Hemler explains that over time, this can crowd out protein-rich foods and essential micronutrients, leaving meals less balanced than intended. The end result is feeling less satisfied after eating and missing out on the variety of foods and nutrients that support long-term energy and health.

Instead: Hemler recommends building meals around a protein anchor first, and then adding whole grains, vegetables, fruits and fats to round it out. Foods like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, tofu, tempeh, lentils, bean mixes and protein-enriched dairy or plant beverages make it easier to hit important protein targets without relying solely on carbohydrates. Planning just one or two high-protein staples per meal can keep the vegetarian pattern balanced, satisfying and nutrient-dense.