One of the most important vitamins for our bones is also one of the easiest to overlook. Vitamin K is even referred to as “the forgotten vitamin”, but is one of the key nutrients that helps our blood clot at the exact amount needed. This helps protect us during times of injury and also aids in overall blood flow. Vitamin K is also crucial to building and maintaining strong bones. It is one of the best nutrients to help protect against weakening and fractures and is found abundantly in nature.
Vitamin K is also a fat-soluble vitamin, so it’s necessary that you eat healthy fats so you can get the most benefits. For those looking to keep their bones healthy to prevent osteoporosis, calcium, magnesium, boron, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K are essential. Since a plant-based diet is full of foods that have most all these ingredients in the same foods, getting enough is essential (except for Vitamin D, which is best obtained by supplementation or the sun).
Check out some sources of Vitamin K in a plant-based diet below, learn more about this vitamin for your health, and also see some recipes with Vitamin K to cook your way to a strong and healthy body!
OVERVIEW
A vitamin found abundantly in plant-based foods, Vitamin K helps protect your skeletal system, your cardiovascular system, and is best absorbed when eaten with foods that contain healthy fats. Vitamin K is found largely in produce such as leafy greens though many other plant-based foods contain this crucial vitamin as well.
BENEFITS
Vitamin K is a highly important nutrient we need for our blood and bone health. Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and for regulating blood flow in the instance of injury like a wound, where we would want our blood to clot to prevent losing too much. On the other hand, Vitamin K also regulates blood flow on a daily basis to prevent it clotting when we don’t want it to. Vitamin K is also necessary for maintaining healthy bones as it helps protect the bones and prevent them from breaking or a fracture.
RECOMMENDED DAILY INTAKE
Vitamin K is one of the easiest to get from a plant-based diet without the need for a supplement because Vitamin K is found all throughout the plant-based kingdom. There are three forms of Vitamin K (K1,K2, and K3) all derived from different foods. No matter which type you get, they all count! The daily recommended intake is around 200 mcg daily. Since most plant-based foods have around 500- 1000 percent of your daily Vitamin K needs, you don’t need to worry about counting how much you take in, and there’s also no risk of toxicity of this vitamin from food-based sources.
DIETARY SOURCES
The best sources of Vitamin K are leafy greens since they contain the most amount of any food per serving, with around 1000 percent in just one serving (1-2 cups).
Here is a complete list of foods with measurable Vitamin K levels:
- kale
- spinach
- romaine lettuce
- arugula
- collards
- green peas
- turnips
- mustard greens
- Brussels sprouts
- broccoli
- cabbage
- fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi)
- blueberries
- prunes
- grapes
- raspberries
RECIPES WITH VITAMIN K
- Raw Cream of Broccoli Soup
- Baked Broccoli Burgers
- Strawberry Kale Smoothie
- Kale and White Bean Soup
- Black-Eyed Pea and Spinach Cakes
- Ramp and Spinach Pesto Pasta
- Spinach and Almond Feta Breakfast Wrap
- Blueberry Acai Super Smoothie
- Superfood Raspberry Smoothie
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Apple and Chestnuts
IMPORTANT READS
RELATED PRODUCTS
RELATED CONTENT
- Plant-based Nutrition 101: Protein
- Plant-based Nutrition 101: Healthy Fats
- Plant-based Nutrition 101: Complex Carbs/Fiber
- Plant-based Nutrition 101: Vitamin A
- Plant-based Nutrition 101: B Vitamins
- Plant-based Nutrition 101: Vitamin C
- Plant-based Nutrition 101: Vitamin D
- Plant-Based Nutrition 101: Vitamin E
- Plant-based Nutrition 101: Calcium
- Plant-based Nutrition 101: Magnesium
- Plant-based Nutrition 101: Iron
- Plant-based Nutrition 101: Zinc
- Plant-based Nutrition 101: Vitamin K (CURRENT PAGE)
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