Foods That Are Low in Vitamin K

People who are on certain blood thinners, including warfarin, need to keep a consistent intake of vitamin K. These medications work by interfering with the blood-clotting function of vitamin K, so eating much more or less vitamin K on any given day could be dangerous and cause your blood to clot too easily or make you more likely to bleed too much. Eating mainly foods low in vitamin K can help keep your intake stable.

Although green leafy vegetables are very high in vitamin K, there are still plenty of vegetables with low vitamin K to choose from. Red bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, sweet potatoes, summer squash, winter squash, rutabagas, onions, corn, artichokes, iceberg lettuce, beets, turnips and mushrooms are all OK on a low vitamin K diet. Peas, asparagus, avocados and broccoli are high in vitamin K, so you'll want to limit or avoid these vegetables.

Cranberries and grapefruit can interfere with blood thinners, but you can still eat peaches, strawberries, oranges, watermelon, apples, bananas, pineapple, nectarines and litchis. Honeydew, apricots, fruit cocktail and mangoes are also low in vitamin K. You should avoid rhubarb, kiwi, stewed prunes, blueberries and blackberries, as these are relatively high in vitamin K.

You can eat all dairy foods, eggs and all beans except for soybeans and green beans when you're following a low vitamin K diet. You can also eat most types of meat, but you should limit or avoid abalone and fish canned in oil.

When you're watching your vitamin K intake, most grains are fine. You can eat white or brown rice, pasta, barley, bulgur, cornmeal, couscous, quinoa, millet, buckwheat and whole-wheat bread.

Enjoy oatmeal with a banana, milk and orange juice for breakfast. For lunch, try a turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread with mustard, iceberg lettuce and tomato along with a cup of tomato soup and an apple. Serve pasta with sauce and meatballs with a side of corn and a bowl of strawberries for dinner.