Cholesterol and two other types of dietary fat -- saturated fat and trans fat -- can raise your blood cholesterol to unhealthy levels. You can reduce your risk of heart disease by consuming less of these fats and replacing them with cholesterol-friendly fats found in olive oil, fish and nuts.
Measuring Dietary Cholesterol
You should get no more than 300 mg of dietary cholesterol a day. You should consume a lower amount -- no more than 200 mg -- daily, if factors, such as your weight, age and family history put you at high risk for developing heart disease. Dietary cholesterol is not measured in grams, but milligrams; 1,000 mg equals 1 g. Your daily intake should be no more than 0.3 g of dietary cholesterol.
Foods to Avoid or Limit
Animal products contain cholesterol. If you want to keep your daily cholesterol below 200 to 300 mg daily, avoid organ meats such as chicken and beef liver. In each 3.5-oz serving, beef liver contains 389 mg of cholesterol and chicken liver contains 631 mg. Limit your intake of eggs or eat only egg whites, as a single egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol. Other foods that contain a third of more of your daily cholesterol quota in a 3.5-oz serving include shrimp, 194 mg; squid, 231 mg; top round veal, 135 mg; and lamb fore shank, 106 mg.
Healthy Choices
You can still eat meat and keep your cholesterol within daily limits if you choose lean cuts and keep your portions small. Good choices of animal protein, based on a 3.5-oz serving, include tuna packed in water, 30 mg; ham, 53 mg; skinless chicken, 85 mg; halibut, 41 mg; and crab, 52 mg. Choose nonfat or low-fat dairy products. A cup of whole milk contains 33 mg of cholesterol, while 1 cup of nonfat milk contains 4 mg. Fruits, vegetables and grains contain no cholesterol. You can get some of your protein from tofu and beans and calcium from tofu, broccoli and fortified orange juice.
Considerations
Animal sources of cholesterol also contain saturated fats, so you can reduce your consumption of both of these fats with many of the same measures. Saturated fat, also found in tropical oils, should make up no more than 10 percent of your daily calories. Trans fat, found in margarine, shortening and commercial baked goods, should make up no more than 1 percent of your daily calories. Read nutrition labels to check how much cholesterol, saturated fat or trans fat a food contains.
