Vitamin K Rich Foods to Include in Your Diet

Did you know that vitamin K deficiency may lead to cardiovascular problems, severe bleeding & poor bone development? Moreover, according to research this fat-soluble vitamin is important for blood clotting. Naturally available in many food sources, it is also available as supplements. However, why rely on supplements when natural foods high in this vitamin are easily available? Include these vitamin K rich foods in your diet for stronger bones & overall health.

Vitamin K Rich Foods to Include In Your Diet

What is vitamin K good for & vitamin K benefits:

Consuming vitamin K rich foods, helps in maintaining cardiovascular health. Further, it is an important nutrient for bone development. Also, without this vitamin, blood does not clot & this may lead to heavy bleeding.

In addition, if you are looking at knowing how much vitamin K you need, you shall find all details here

What happens if you do not get enough vitamin K?

Studies show that individuals who do not get enough vitamin K are at a higher risk of osteoporosis due to poor bone health. Moreover, deficiency of this vitamin may lead to poor cardiovascular health. Also, there is a higher risk of bruising & bleeding as this vitamin plays an important role in clotting of blood.

Vitamin K foods list:

If you are looking for a vitamin K foods list, here are a few foods you should add to your diet:

Green leafy vegetables- Kale, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, mustard greens. As a matter of fact, kale is one of the richest source & when combined with a healthy oil it helps meet your daily vitamin K requirements. 

Vegetable oils like soybean oil

What fruits are high in vitamin K?

Fruits like kiwi, blueberries, pomegranate, dried figs, grapes contain good amounts of vitamin K. However, contrary to popular belief, bananas do not contain this vitamin. Bananas are potassium rich & very important for our heart health.

Meat- chicken liver, pork, eggs

Dairy- cheese, whole milk, cream

Nuts & pulses- cashews, walnuts, pine nuts, sprouts like mung beans, green beans, soybeans

Vitamin K rich foods in India:

Across Indian households, we do not include many foods like avocados, brussel sprouts, blue berries in our daily food habits. Hence, let's look at vitamin K rich foods that can be accommodated in our Indian diet.

Cooked cabbage- Cabbage is used in various ways across Indian kitchens. Moreover, from cooking it as a side dish for rotis, cabbage pakodas are a popular snack too. For easy recipes with cabbage, look for inspiration here

Spring onions- Make a delicious vegetable with spring onions & gramflour (besan) & serve with roti/rice. In addition, we also recommend rustling up an easy raita recipe with spring onions, Himalayan salt & roasted crushed peanuts.

Also read: Himalayan salt health benefits & is it better than regular salt

Lady finger (bhindi)- A favorite across our kitchens, bhindi can be enjoyed in many forms. 

Cucumber- Use it to make chilled raitas, add to salads or make a South Indian style curry with it. 

Cauliflower- Make a delicious veg korma, aloo gobi or gobi masala with this versatile vegetable.

Spinach- No wonder Popeye loves spinach. Apart from being a good vitamin K source, spinach has vitamin A & C as well. 

Lettuce- Satiate hunger pangs with a healthy lettuce & grilled chicken salad. Further, veg lovers can add tofu or cottage cheese for a healthy meal

Soybean- Make soya chunks curry for a healthy yet different meal.

Chicken liver- Every household has a favorite chicken curry recipe. However, use chicken liver to make a side side for rice/roti as it's a good source of this vitamin.