Doctors typically follow recent cholesterol guidelines that recommend limiting saturated fats, instead of targeting a specific daily limit. You may consider limiting those unhealthy fats to 10% or less of what you consume each day.
There are no specific recommended limits for the amount of dietary cholesterol you consume from food each day. But it’s still important to pay attention to the food you eat to keep your body’s cholesterol levels healthy.
Doctors recommend that you limit the amount of harmful saturated fats, trans fats, and added sugars in your diet. You should also keep an eye on your cholesterol intake since foods that are high in cholesterol also tend to be high in saturated fats, especially if you have a high risk of heart disease.
Your body needs cholesterol to help build cells and produce certain hormones. Your body produces all the cholesterol it needs in the liver and intestines from fats, sugars, and proteins.
But problems arise when you eat too many saturated and trans fats. These cause your liver to produce too much LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which winds up in artery-clogging deposits.
For this reason, experts generally recommend avoiding trans fats altogether and limiting saturated fats to
The
| Cholesterol | Eat as little dietary cholesterol as possible, but there are no specific limits. |
|---|---|
| Saturated fats | Limit these fats to less than 10% of the calories each day. |
| Unsaturated fats | No upper limit for a healthy limit. Replace saturated fats with these as often as possible. |
| Transfats | Eat little to no synthetic trans fats, as they’re associated with inflammation. |
Learn more about different types of fat and how they affect cholesterol levels and overall health.
Nutrition labels matter
Nutrition labels on foods tell you how much of each nutrient or fat is in the item, based on the recommended serving size. The numbers and percentages are written for a 2,000-calorie/day eating plan. You’ll find a label on the back of packaged, canned, or bottled items that says “Nutrition Facts.”
You can learn from the
These may be the foods to consider eating or avoiding each day, as it relates to the amount of cholesterol in your eating plan.
Cholesterol itself is only found in animal-based foods, including:
- meat
- dairy products
- seafood
- egg yolks
- butter
Shrimp is high in cholesterol but very low in saturated fat. See why you can enjoy it as part of a heart-healthy diet.
Cholesterol-free foods
There’s no cholesterol in foods like:
- fruits
- vegetables
- grains
- nuts
These are also all part of a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Foods containing fats
Foods that are high in saturated fats and should be limited include:
- red meat and pork
- baked goods, such as cakes and cookies
- cheese
- pizza
- ice cream
- processed meats, such as sausages
- fried foods
Foods containing unhealthy trans fats, which should be avoided, include:
- fried foods
- packaged foods with “hydrogenated oils” in the ingredients list
- baked goods, such as cakes, pies, and cookies
- margarine
- microwave popcorn
- frosting
Foods that contain healthy unsaturated fats, which you should eat, include:
- olive, peanut, canola, safflower, and sunflower oils
- avocados
- most nuts, but especially walnuts
- most seeds, including sunflower, chia, and hemp seeds
The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers a
Here are some examples of foods and approximately how much cholesterol and fats you can find in each:
| Food | Cholesterol | Saturated fat | Trans fat | Unsaturated fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 large egg | 186 mg | 1.6 g | 0 g | 2.7 g |
| 1 avocado | 0 mg | 4.3 g | 0 g | 23.4 g |
| 95% lean ground beef (1/4 lb) | 70 mg | 2.5 g | .3 g | 2.5 g |
| 70% lean ground beef (1/4 lb) | 88 mg | 13.3 g | 2.1 g | 16.8 g |
| Skinless chicken breast (6 oz) | 124 mg | 1 g | 0.01 g | 1.9 g |
| Salted butter (1 tbsp) | 31 mg | 7.3 g | 0.5 g | 3.4 g |
| Extra virgin olive oil (1 tbsp) | 0 mg | 2 g | 0 g | 11.5 g |
| Vanilla ice cream (1 cup) | 58 mg | 9 g | 0 g | 4.5 g |
| Low-fat yogurt (1 cup) | 15 mg | 2.5 g | 0 g | 1.1 g |
| Uncooked shrimp (3 oz) | 137 mg | 0.1 g | 0 g | 0.2 g |
| Plain walnuts (1/2 cup) | 0 mg | 3.1 g | 0 g | 28.1 g |
Here are more cholesterol-lowering foods for you to enjoy.
Tips for lowering cholesterol from foods and drinks
- Pay attention to the saturated and trans fats on your food labels, as well as added sugars. The less of these you consume, the better. No more than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from either saturated fats or added sugars.
- Don’t worry about eating enough cholesterol. Your body makes enough whether or not you consume it.
- Eat more healthy, unsaturated fats. Try replacing butter with extra virgin olive oil in cooking, buy lean cuts of meat, and snack on nuts and seeds instead of french fries or processed snack foods.
You can read more about other ways to lower your cholesterol levels, beyond managing the foods and drinks you enjoy each day.
Doctors typically follow recent cholesterol guidelines that recommend limiting saturated fats, instead of targeting a specific number each day. Generally, that means limiting these unhealthy fats to 10% or less of what you eat each day.
These can be important in managing cholesterol levels, and that may be even more important for people who are at higher risk for cardiovascular events or other health conditions.