Which foods are highest in vitamin k?

Per serving, the highest on this list is parsley — 984 µg in 1 cup chopped (60 g), per USDA FoodData Central. These are common foods rather than the absolute maximum in the USDA database: ranking every food by vitamin k density puts dried herbs and defatted soy flour at the top, which is true and useless to someone deciding what to have for dinner.

Where do these numbers come from?

USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy), for the household serving shown next to each food — not per 100 g. Per-100-g figures are what most "foods high in vitamin k" lists use, and they are misleading: nobody eats 100 g of dried thyme.

Vitamin K and warfarin: the foods that matter, and why you should not avoid them

Warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) works by blocking vitamin K, which your liver needs to make clotting factors. Eat far more vitamin K than usual and the drug is overwhelmed — your INR falls and your clot risk rises. Eat far less and the drug is unopposed — your INR climbs and you bruise and bleed. Every number below is the amount in one ordinary serving, from USDA FoodData Central.

By the pharmaranks editorial teamReviewed against USDA FoodData Central, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements & FDA drug labels sourcesHow we research

The part people get wrong

The instinct is to avoid greens. That is the wrong move, and the FDA label does not ask for it. What matters is CONSISTENCY: eat roughly the same amount of vitamin K each week so your dose can be matched to it. A person who eats a cup of spinach most days is far easier to anticoagulate than one who swears off greens and then has a salad at a wedding. Talk to whoever manages your INR before changing your diet — in either direction.

Vitamin K in common foods — per serving, not per 100 g

Values from USDA FoodData Central for the serving shown. These are foods people actually eat: ranking the whole USDA database by density would put dried thyme and defatted soy flour at the top, which is accurate and no use to anyone.

Vitamin K per serving in common foods (USDA FoodData Central)
Food	Serving	Vitamin K (µg)
Parsleyfresh	1 cup chopped (60 g)	984
Collardscooked, boiled	1 cup, chopped (190 g)	773
Broccolicooked, boiled	1 stalk, small (5" long) (140 g)	198
Spinachraw	1 cup (30 g)	145
Brussels sproutscooked, boiled	0.5 cup (78 g)	109
Lettucecos or romaine, raw	1 NLEA serving (85 g)	87
Kaleraw	1 cup (21 g)	82
Cabbageraw	1 cup, chopped (89 g)	68
Asparaguscooked, boiled	0.5 cup (90 g)	46
Peasgreen, cooked	1 cup (160 g)	41
Avocadosraw, all commercial varieties	1 cup, sliced (146 g)	31
Blueberriesraw	1 cup (148 g)	29

Frequently asked questions

Which foods are highest in vitamin k?: Per serving, the highest on this list is parsley — 984 µg in 1 cup chopped (60 g), per USDA FoodData Central. These are common foods rather than the absolute maximum in the USDA database: ranking every food by vitamin k density puts dried herbs and defatted soy flour at the top, which is true and useless to someone deciding what to have for dinner.
Do I need to avoid vitamin k if I take these medicines?: The instinct is to avoid greens. That is the wrong move, and the FDA label does not ask for it. What matters is CONSISTENCY: eat roughly the same amount of vitamin K each week so your dose can be matched to it. A person who eats a cup of spinach most days is far easier to anticoagulate than one who swears off greens and then has a salad at a wedding. Talk to whoever manages your INR before changing your diet — in either direction.
Where do these numbers come from?: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy), for the household serving shown next to each food — not per 100 g. Per-100-g figures are what most "foods high in vitamin k" lists use, and they are misleading: nobody eats 100 g of dried thyme.

Sources

Nutrient values are USDA reference data for the serving shown and vary with variety, growing conditions and cooking. This page is general information, not medical advice — never change your diet or your dose on the strength of a web page. Talk to whoever manages your treatment.