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Food Sources of Vitamin K

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Food Sources of Vitamin K

Information About Vitamin K

  • Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin. You need some vitamin K every day for good health.
  • Vitamin K helps your blood to clot when you are bleeding. People who take warfarin (Coumadin®) should aim for about the same amount of vitamin K each day. Warfarin is a blood thinning medication.
  • Vitamin K also helps to build strong bones.
  • There are two forms of vitamin K: vitamin K1 and vitamin K2.
    • Vitamin K1 is mostly found in plants and is our main dietary source of vitamin K.
    • Vitamin K2 is found in fermented foods and in some meats and cheeses. It is also made by our body from vitamin K1 in the food we eat.

How Much Vitamin K Should I Aim For?



Age in Years 		Aim for vitamin K intake of micrograms (mcg)/day Stay below*

mcg/day
Men 19 and older 120 mcg *An upper limit for vitamin K has not been established
Women 19 and older 90 mcg
Pregnant women 19 and older 90 mcg
Breastfeeding women 19 and older 90 mcg

*Very high amounts of vitamin K supplements could still have side effects.

Vitamin K Content of Some Common Foods

Green leafy vegetables are the best sources of vitamin K. The following table lists foods sources of vitamin K.



Food 		Amount Vitamin K (mcg)


Vegetables
Kale, cooked 125 mL (½ cup)  561
Kale, raw, chopped 250 mL (1 cup) 499
Spinach, cooked 125 mL (½ cup)  469
Dandelion greens, raw, chopped 250 mL (1 cup) 452
Mustard greens, cooked, chopped 125 mL (½ cup)  438
Collards, cooked, chopped 125 mL (½ cup)  408
Beet greens, cooked 125 mL (½ cup)  368
Swiss chard, raw 250 mL (1 cup) 316
Dandelion greens, cooked 125 mL (½ cup)  306
Swiss chard, cooked 125 mL (½ cup)  303
Turnip greens, cooked 125 mL (½ cup)  280
Parsley, raw 60 mL (¼ cup)  260
Broccoli raab (rapini), cooked 125mL (½ cup)  169
Collards, raw, chopped 250 mL (1 cup) 166
Beet greens, raw 250 mL (1 cup) 161
Lettuce, spring mix (mesclun), raw 250 mL (1 cup) 154
Spinach, raw 250 mL (1 cup) 153
Endive and escarole, raw, chopped 250 mL (1 cup) 122
Brussel sprouts, cooked 4 sprouts 118
Broccoli, cooked 125 mL (½ cup)  116
Radicchio, raw, shredded 250 mL (1 cup) 108
Lettuce, green leaf, raw, shredded 250 mL (1 cup) 103
Broccoli, raw, chopped 250 mL (1 cup) 94
Watercress, raw, chopped 250 mL (1 cup) 90
Cabbage, shredded, cooked 125 mL (½ cup)  86
Bean sprouts, soybean, raw 125 mL (½ cup)  70
Lettuce, romaine, raw, shredded 250 mL (1 cup) 61
Lettuce, butterhead (boston), raw, shredded 250 mL (1 cup) 60
Cabbage, raw, shredded 250 mL (1 cup) 56
Green or scallion onion, raw, chopped 60 mL (¼ cup)  55
Asparagus, cooked 6 spears 46


Fruit
Kiwifruit 1 medium fruit 28
Rhubarb, cooked 125 mL (½ cup)  27
Blueberry, frozen 125 mL (½ cup)  22
Avocado ½ fruit  21


Other
Spinach egg noodles, cooked 125 mL (½ cup)  86
Pork liver 75 g (2 ½ oz)  66
Sausage (pork, veal) 75 g (2 ½ oz)  53
Tuna, light, canned with oil 75 g (2 ½ oz)  33
Soybeans, cooked 175 mL (¾ cup)  24
Matcha green tea powder 2 g of tea powder per 1 cup tea 60

Source: Canadian Nutrient File  https://food-nutrition.canada.ca/cnf-fce/index-eng.jsp

Accessed November 2018.