Great Tasting Foods With Vitamin K

Think of vitamin K-rich foods, and leafy greens may come to mind. But leafy greens aren't the only foods that offer an abundance of this vitamin. Your options range from cruciferous vegetables to dried plums. Oils such as canola and soybean also offer vitamin K. So take your pick if you're trying to get more vitamin K. You'll most likely find several foods that you enjoy.

Benefits

Vitamin K is necessary for blood-clotting, as well as formation and repair of bone. It helps synthesize osteocalcin, an important bone protein that plays a role in regulating metabolism and bone-building. Vitamin K helps to convert glucose into glycogen to be stored in the liver. There are three forms of vitamin K -- K1, called phylloquinone or phytonadione, which comes from plants and makes up dietary vitamin K; K2, the menaquinones, made by intestinal bacteria and found in butter, liver, chicken, egg yolks, fermented soybean products and some cheeses; and K3, or menadione, a synthetic substance that is man-made. If you are deficient in vitamin K, you might experience internal or abnormal bleeding.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens, available in an abundance of varieties, give salads flavor and texture. They add interest to soups, and cooked, they serve as flavorful side dishes. One cup of leafy greens can provide as much as 10 times the vitamin K you need daily.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that a cup of frozen kale that has been boiled and drained with no salt added has 1,147 micrograms of vitamin K. Fresh kale prepared the same way has 1,062 micrograms. Frozen chopped collards prepared the same way have 1,059 micrograms, while frozen spinach has 1,027. Canned spinach has 988 micrograms of the vitamin. Frozen turnip greens, boiled and drained without salt, have 851 micrograms and surpass fresh turnip greens prepared the same way, which have 529 micrograms. The Mayo Clinic website says adult men should get 120 micrograms of vitamin K, and women should get 90 micrograms.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage are cruciferous vegetables that provide a satisfying crunch when they're eaten raw and lend themselves to a variety of cooked preparations. These vitamin K-rich vegetables may also play a role in cancer prevention, according to "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," by Phyllis A. Balch.
A cup of frozen Brussels sprouts, boiled without salt, has 300 micrograms of vitamin K. Fresh Brussels sprouts cooked the same way have 219 micrograms. According to the USDA, fresh broccoli has more vitamin K than frozen broccoli. A cup of boiled fresh broccoli has 220 micrograms, while a cup of frozen broccoli prepared the same way has 183 micrograms. Fresh cabbage, boiled without salt, has 73 micrograms of vitamin K. Frozen asparagus that has been boiled without salt has 144 micrograms of vitamin K. A cup of canned sauerkraut has 135 micrograms, while a cup of spring onions have 207 micrograms.

Other Foods

The USDA lists the following foods as being other sources of vitamin K: spinach egg noodles, with 162 micrograms of vitamin K; stewed dried plums, with 65 micrograms; and fast-food coleslaw, with 56 micrograms. Seasoned bread crumbs have 55 micrograms, and one shell of a a graham cracker pie crust has 59.

Cautions

The drug warfarin is a blood-thinner. Foods rich in vitamin K can decrease the drug's effectiveness. Eating small amounts of foods containing vitamin K is acceptable, but avoid eating large amounts of kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, parsley collard and mustard greens and green tea while you're taking warfarin, the Mayo Clinic website advises. If you're taking warfarin, consult your dietitian, because blood levels of this drug can be hard to regulate.