Everyone knows wearing sunscreen is one of the best things you can do to prevent skin cancer. There’s only one bad thing about doing this; it also prevents your body from absorbing vitamin D the way nature intended — straight from direct sunlight. Now this does not mean we should go bask in the sun for hours on end with no sunscreen. That would be detrimental to your skin. It does mean that if you want to absorb vitamin D from the sun you should get at least 15 minutes of direct afternoon sunlight on unprotected skin, according to a Cleveland Clinic article on Vitamin D.

Of course, doing this isn’t always easy, especially when clouds obscure the sun, in winter and in rainy climates. It’s also not wise for those at risk of skin cancer or those with a family history of skin cancer, and it’s impractical for those who work indoors most days. The good news is that there are plenty of other ways of getting your daily dose of vitamin D — including foods in which it is found naturally, fortified foods and beverages, and multi-vitamins.

First you should determine how much vitamin D you need. The average healthy adult should get at least 200 IU, those over the age of 50 should get 400 IU, and those over the age of 70 should take a whopping 600 IU, according to the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements. Other sources recommend getting even more vitamin D each day.

There aren’t too many foods in which vitamin D occurs naturally, but a few of the better-known ones include fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel; egg yolks; and beef liver. If these don’t sound appealing — or are simply out of reach due to a low-fat diet — the good news is that most Americans get the vitamin D they need through vitamin D-fortified foods and drinks, particularly milk and breakfast cereals. Even some orange juices, yogurts and margarines are known to be fortified with vitamin D. However, if you are inconsistent in the amount of vitamin D you consume each day, you may want to take a daily multi-vitamin and get the rest of the daily vitamins your body needs right along with it.

Why does vitamin D matter? First, it aids in the body’s absorption of calcium, which is essential for maintaining strong bones; vitamin D is also essential to bone growth. It also serves a number of other health purposes, such as modulating neuromuscular and immune function and reducing inflammation, according to the NIH.

If you don’t venture into the sun very often, ask yourself: am I getting enough vitamin D?