People often attempt to improve their diets by lowering cholesterol intake. This, in conjunction with eating moderate portions of food and adding more healthy choices to a diet, can help maintain a heart healthy. Cholesterol from food is only one of the causes of high blood cholesterol, however. The Harvard School of Public Health reports that our ratio of eating good fat versus bad fat is the most important factor that we can modify to help our blood cholesterol level. Harvard recommends that you limit your dietary cholesterol; understanding the amount present in your food choices is the first step toward accomplishing this.
Vegetables
Vegetables do not contain any cholesterol unless they are cooked in animal fat. All vegetables can be eaten on a low-cholesterol diet.
Fruits
Fruits do not contain any cholesterol. All fruits can be eaten on a low-cholesterol diet.
Grains
Grains do not contain any cholesterol unless they are cooked with animal products. Most commercial cereals and breads do not contain cholesterol, but foods made at delicatessens, restaurants or in the home may have some amount of cholesterol. Pie crust, cornbread, biscuits, cake and rolls are often made with lard, butter or bacon grease, adding a significant amount of cholesterol. Consult the nutritional information for a food item whenever possible.
Meats and Beans
Keeping in mind that a typical 2,000 calorie diet should consume no more than 300 mg each day, now consider the cholesterol content of foods in the protein group. Nuts, beans and lentils have no cholesterol. A medium-sized egg contains around 212 mg. According to the University of California at San Fransisco Medical Center, a small serving of salmon contains 63 mg, while the same amount of shrimp contains 194 mg. A slice of fried bacon contains 8 mg and a small serving of ham contains 53 mg. A small piece of chicken without the skin contains 85 mg, the same as a small pork chop. An investigation of beef reveals that lean ground beef contains 78 mg per serving and a small sirloin steak has 89 mg. Liver is a poor choice on a low-cholesterol diet, with a small serving of chicken liver containing 631 mg, while beef liver is slightly better at 389 mg. Tofu has no cholesterol, and tuna in water is considered low-cholesterol for this food group at 30 mg.
Milk Products
Skim milk is a cholesterol winner, as all but 5 mg of cholesterol is removed from a cup. An equivalent serving of whole milk contains 33 mg. An ounce of cheddar cheese contains 30 mg and a cup of low-fat cottage cheese has 10 mg of cholesterol. A cup of full-fat yogurt weighs in at 29 mg.
Oils
Healthy oils from plants are cholesterol-free. This includes olive oil, canola oil and corn oil. Other oils that do not have cholesterol are peanut oil and soybean oil. Margarine without animal products does not contain any cholesterol, while a tablespoon of butter contains 33 mg. Lard contains 14 mg of cholesterol per tablespoon and shortening without animal products is cholesterol-free.
