Vitamin K Limiting Diet Plan

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I have been prescribed a Limited Vitamin K diet, can I still receive meals from Meals On Wheels Inc. of Tarrant County? YES!

Meals on Wheels Recommended Meal Plan
Regular Diet with the beverage choice of one of the following: Skim Milk, Low fat Milk, or Calcium/Vitamin D Orange Juice

Diet Implications:

What is the purpose of a limited vitamin K diet?
To promote consistent blood levels while taking in the proper amounts of vitamin K. Vitamin K plays an important role in blood clot formation. Vitamin K stops external bleeding which may be hard when taking blood thinning medication such as Coumadin/Warfarin.

What does the diet consist of?
A limited vitamin K diet consists of eating a well balanced diet which consists of a constant intake of foods that contain vitamin K. Foods that provide an excellent source of vitamin K are green, leafy vegetables. These vegetables include liver, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, collards, and cabbage.

What are the nutritional recommendations of a limited vitamin K diet?
Dietitians recommend patients who are prescribed Coumadin/Warfarin to eat no more than three servings of green, leafy vegetables daily. These three servings include one serving of foods high in vitamin K and two servings of foods moderately- high in vitamin K. Foods high in vitamin K include one half cup of cooked spinach, cooked turnip greens, and cooked collards. Foods that are moderately high in vitamin K include one cup of raw spinach, raw endive lettuce, raw romaine lettuce, raw broccoli, one half cup of cooked Brussels Sprouts, or cooked cabbage. In general, patients don’t need to worry about consuming an excessive amount of green vegetables, but rather focus on eating a consistent amount of other vegetables. One cup of raw vegetables and a half cup of cooked vegetables is considered one serving of vegetables, while two cups of raw leafy greens is considered one serving of vegetables.

How can I make my limited vitamin K diet work with the Meals On Wheels Regular Diet plan?
Meals on Wheels provides adequate nutrition to maintain a healthy lifestyle and each meal contains one-third of the recommended amounts of nutrients as guided by the Recommended Dietary Allowances. Meals on Wheels provides vitamin K-restricted foods for breakfast, such as muffins, bagels, and cereal. Lunch and weekend meals come with a variety of vegetable side items like broccoli or Brussels sprouts, which provides one serving of vitamin K. Meals on Wheels plans and prepares breakfast and lunch meals that in general, will meet most of the prescribed Coumadin diet standards.

Vitamin K is mainly found in vegetables. Aside from my Meals on Wheels meals, which vegetables should I look out for when monitoring my vitamin K intake?

Vegetables to limit to 1/2 cup:

  • Spinach
  • Mustard, collard, and turnip greens • Cabbage and Lettuce
  • Cole Slaw
  • Broccoli
  • Sauerkraut

Vegetables to Enjoy:

  • Green peas
  • Asparagus
  • Green Beans
  • Cucumber
  • Carrots
  • Potatoes