Dark leafy greens top the list of vegetables high in vitamin K, and by a wide margin. A single half-cup of cooked spinach delivers well over 400 mcg, which is several times the daily recommended intake for adults. The daily target is 120 mcg for men and 90 mcg for women, so even a modest serving of the right vegetables gets you there easily.
Leafy Greens: The Richest Sources
Green leafy vegetables contain more vitamin K per serving than any other food group. Spinach is one of the most studied examples. Frozen spinach that’s been boiled contains around 540 mcg per 100 grams, while microwaved spinach comes in at roughly 480 to 544 mcg per 100 grams. Even unprepared frozen spinach sits at 370 to 380 mcg per 100 grams, meaning the vitamin is concentrated regardless of how you cook it.
Kale, collard greens, and Swiss chard are in the same tier. These greens consistently rank among the highest vitamin K foods in nutrition databases, with kale and collards often exceeding 500 mcg per cooked cup. Turnip greens and mustard greens also belong in this category. If you eat a salad with a generous handful of any dark leafy green, you’re almost certainly exceeding your daily needs in one sitting.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are the standouts here. A half-cup of cooked broccoli provides about 110 mcg of vitamin K, and the same amount of cooked Brussels sprouts delivers 109 mcg. Either one alone meets or exceeds the daily recommendation for women and comes close for men.
Cooked green cabbage is more moderate at around 62 mcg per half-cup. Cauliflower, despite being in the same plant family, is surprisingly low at just 9 to 10 mcg per half-cup, whether raw or cooked. The pattern is straightforward: the greener the vegetable, the more vitamin K it contains. The pigment that makes these vegetables green is closely linked to their vitamin K concentration.
Other Vegetables Worth Noting
Beyond the leafy greens and cruciferous family, several other vegetables contribute meaningful amounts. Green peas, asparagus, and green beans each provide moderate doses. Lettuce varieties like romaine and green leaf contain less per serving than spinach or kale, but because people tend to eat lettuce in larger volumes (think a big salad), the total intake can still be significant.
Herbs also count. Parsley, cilantro, and basil are exceptionally dense in vitamin K on a per-gram basis. You won’t eat 100 grams of parsley in a day, but a generous sprinkling over dishes adds up over time.
K1 vs. K2: What Vegetables Provide
Almost all the vitamin K in vegetables is K1 (phylloquinone), which is the main dietary form. Vitamin K2 (menaquinone) comes primarily from animal products and fermented foods, because it’s produced by bacteria rather than plants. So when you eat kale or broccoli, you’re getting K1.
The one vegetable-adjacent exception is fermented foods. Natto, a Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans, is the single richest known source of vitamin K2. Sauerkraut, made from fermented cabbage, also contains K2 thanks to the bacteria involved in fermentation. The exact K2 content in fermented foods varies widely from batch to batch, though, because it depends on how much bacterial activity occurred during production.
Both forms support your body, but K1 from vegetables is the form most people consume in the largest quantities.
Cooking Doesn’t Destroy It
Unlike vitamin C and several B vitamins, vitamin K is fat-soluble and holds up well to heat. Cooking and freezing do not reduce the vitamin K content of vegetables. This is confirmed by USDA data showing that frozen spinach retains its vitamin K whether it’s boiled, microwaved, or left uncooked. You don’t need to eat your greens raw to get the full benefit.
Because vitamin K is fat-soluble, eating your vegetables with some dietary fat helps your body absorb it. Sautéing greens in olive oil, adding avocado to a salad, or drizzling dressing over steamed broccoli all improve absorption. A completely fat-free meal means you’ll absorb less of the vitamin K on your plate.
Quick Reference by Serving
- Spinach, cooked (½ cup): 400+ mcg
- Kale, cooked (½ cup): 500+ mcg
- Collard greens, cooked (½ cup): 400+ mcg
- Broccoli, cooked (½ cup): 110 mcg
- Brussels sprouts, cooked (½ cup): 109 mcg
- Green cabbage, cooked (½ cup): 62 mcg
- Cauliflower, raw or cooked (½ cup): 9–10 mcg
If You Take Blood Thinners
Vitamin K plays a direct role in blood clotting, which is why people on warfarin (a common blood-thinning medication) need to pay attention to their intake. The key guideline is consistency, not avoidance. You don’t need to stop eating green vegetables. You need to eat roughly the same amount of vitamin K from day to day so your medication dosage stays calibrated. Eating a large spinach salad one day and none for the next three days creates the kind of fluctuation that can interfere with how well the medication works.
If you’re not on blood thinners, there’s no established upper limit for vitamin K. Eating large amounts from food has not been shown to cause harm in healthy adults.