To stay heart-healthy, your total cholesterol should measure less than 200 mg/dl. The total includes the amount of low-density and high-density lipoprotein in your bloodstream as well as a percentage of your triglycerides, another type of body fat. If your total cholesterol or any of its components do not fall within recommended guidelines, changes in your diet can help improve your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease.
Limit Fat in Your Diet
MayoClinic.com recommends that you limit three types of fat in your diet -- cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat -- to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Aim to include no more than 200 to 300 mg of cholesterol, between 16 and 22 g of saturated fat and 2 g or less of trans fat in your daily diet. Observe the lower amounts of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat if you've already had a heart attack or stroke or been diagnosed with arterial blockages in your neck, legs or arms. You also should keep your fat intake low if two or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease apply to you. These factors include diabetes, smoking, above-healthy weight, and family history of heart disease and high blood pressure. Men and everyone older than 50 face increased risk.
High-Cholesterol Foods to Avoid
To limit dietary cholesterol, avoid eggs, organ meats and shrimp. A single egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol, 3 ½ oz. of shrimp contains 194 mg, and chicken liver contains 631 mg. You also should avoid eating fatty cuts of beef such as prime rib, beef short ribs and T-bone steak. Choose leaner cuts -- top sirloin or bottom round, for instance -- and keep portions small. Also avoid whole milk products. Whole milk contains 33 mg of cholesterol per 1 cup serving. If you drink non-fat milk instead, you consume just 4 mg of cholesterol per glass.
Foods High in Saturated Fat
Also avoid fatty cuts of meat and whole milk to keep saturated fat within daily limits. Some animal products contain similar amounts of cholesterol but very dissimilar amounts of saturated fat. A lean hamburger, for instance, contains less cholesterol than a grilled chicken sandwich. But ground beef contains 7 g of saturated fat per 3 ½ oz. serving compared with 1 g in skinless chicken. Avoid eating meat that contains marbleized fat. Choose pork tenderloin over pork chop. Tenderloin contains 2 g of saturated fat per 3 ½ oz. serving, while a chop has 10 g.
Avoid Trans Fat
To keep your intake of trans fat to 2 g or less per day, avoid eating commercial baked goods and snacks, including store-bought cookies, cakes, pies, crackers and chips. Read product labels for trans fat and saturated fat content before making purchases. At home, avoid using margarine or shortening in cooking -- 1 tbsp. of margarine contains 3 g of trans fat. If you're dining out, avoid fried foods. Some restaurants no longer use trans fat as a cooking oil, but many do.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
- Mayo Clinic.com; High Cholesterol; June 24 2010
- University of California San Francisco; Cholesterol Content of Foods; February 2011
- Health Castle; Butter or Margarine: Which One is Better For My Health? Gloria Tsang; April 2007
