You don't need to include cholesterol in your diet. Your body makes all the cholesterol needed for normal functioning. But most diets include some cholesterol and other potentially harmful fats. If you moderate the amount of cholesterol in your diet, you protect yourself against heart disease and strokes. But a healthy diet also limits intake of saturated and trans fat.
Daily Cholesterol Limits
Dietary cholesterol, found in animal products such as meat, cheese and milk, can get stuck on the walls of your arteries, restricting the flow of oxygenated blood to your vital organs. MayoClinic.com recommends you consume no more than 300 mg of cholesterol if you're at normal risk for heart disease. Limit yourself to 200 mg of cholesterol daily if lifestyle, disease or genetics put you at a higher than average risk. Risk factors include smoking, obesity, family history of heart disease and underlying medical conditions such as diabetes.
Sample Cholesterol Content
All animal products contain some amount of cholesterol. Organ meats, such as chicken and beef liver, contain more than a full day's supply of cholesterol in a single 3.5-oz. serving. Other foods can easily put you over your 300 mg limit unless you practice portion control and meal planning. A single egg, for instance, contains 212 mg of cholesterol and 3.5 oz. of shrimp holds 194 mg. If you eat an egg for breakfast, eat foods with less cholesterol the rest of the day. Tuna packed in water, for instance, contains 30 mg of cholesterol and halibut contains 41 mg.
Cholesterol and Saturated Fat
Many foods that contain cholesterol also contain saturated fat, and a healthy diet will limit consumption of both these fats. Skinless chicken contains 85 mg of cholesterol and 1 g of saturated fat per 3.5-oz. serving. Lean ground beef contains less cholesterol --- 78 mg --- but more saturated fat --- 7 g. You should limit saturated fat to 7 to 10 percent of your daily calories or to about 16 g to 22 g on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. Meat and dairy products low in both cholesterol and saturated fat include nonfat milk, 4 mg of cholesterol and 0 g of saturated fat per 8 oz. serving; low-fat cottage cheese, 10 mg of cholesterol and 2 g of saturated fat per 8-oz. serving; ham, 53 mg of cholesterol and 2 g of saturated fat per 3.5-oz. serving; and salmon, 63 mg of cholesterol and 2 g of saturated fat per 3.5-oz. serving.
Considerations
A healthy cholesterol-conscious diet will also restrict trans fat, found in margarine, shortening, commercial baked goods and candy bars, to no more than 1 percent of your daily calories or about 2 g. Deep-fried foods such as french fries and doughnuts may contain more than a day's supply of trans fat, depending on the type of oil used for frying. When buying groceries, check food nutrition labels. They will tell you about the type and amount of fat a product contains.
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