The amount of cholesterol in your diet affects the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Your consumption of foods that contain cholesterol, as well as certain types of fat, plays an important role in heart health. You can help protect yourself against cardiovascular disease by limiting your intake of foods high in cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat. Animal products may contain both cholesterol and saturated fat. Tropical oils contain saturated fat; margarine and shortening contain trans fat.
Recommendations for Dietary Cholesterol
The recommended amount of cholesterol in your diet depends on your health and lifestyle. If you're young and at low risk of heart disease, you can include up to 300 mg of cholesterol in your daily menu. If your family or personal history includes heart attacks or strokes, you should limit your daily intake to 200 mg. You should also stay within the lower limit if you smoke, are overweight or suffer from a medical condition such as diabetes that puts you at higher risk for heart disease.
High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid
An egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol -- more than your daily quota if you're at high risk for heart disease. A 3 ½ oz. serving of shrimp contains 194 mg of cholesterol -- nearly two-thirds of anyone's recommended daily intake. Organ meats may contain more than three times your recommended intake of dietary cholesterol. Chicken liver contains 631 mg and beef liver has 389 mg in a 3 ½ oz. serving. Egg whites do not contain cholesterol, and lean meats can fit within your daily recommended intake of 200 mg to 300 mg of cholesterol.
Protein Choices
If you enjoy red meat, keep portions small and choose lean cuts. Chicken, pork tenderloin pork chops, steak and hamburger contain similar amounts of cholesterol -- between 78 mg and 89 mg in a 3 ½ oz. serving. But chicken without skin and extra lean cuts of beef also contain little saturated fat. Skinless chicken, eye of round steak and top sirloin steak contain no more than 2 g of saturated fat compared to 7 g in lean ground beef. These choices help you stay within your cholesterol limits as well as within recommendations that you limit saturated fat to between 16 and 22 g daily. Other protein choices low in both cholesterol and saturated fat include water-packed tuna, halibut, ham and tofu.
Dairy Choices
Choose low-fat and non-fat dairy products to limit both cholesterol and saturated fat. An 8 oz. glass of whole milk contains 33 mg of cholesterol and 5 g of saturated fat, while an 8 oz. glass of low-fat milk contains 10 mg of cholesterol and 2 g of saturated fat; a glass of non-fat milk contains 4 mg of cholesterol and 0 g of saturated fat. In 1 cup of whole yogurt, you'll find 29 mg of cholesterol and 5 g of saturated fat, but 1 cup of non-fat yogurt contains 10 mg of cholesterol and 0 g of saturated fat. Also consider the cholesterol in cheese when planning your daily menu. Cheddar cheese contains 30 mg of cholesterol and 6 g of saturated fat in 1 oz.
