How Much Cholesterol is in Foods?
It's important to be aware of your cholesterol levels because, if left unmanaged, too much cholesterol can lead to clogged arteries. This increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes. You can have your cholesterol levels monitored at a yearly doctor's visit. Optimally, your cholesterol should be below 200g/dL. Anything beyond that is cause for some lifestyle changes. While factors like quitting smoking, exercising more and consuming more fiber can help lower your cholesterol, a surefire way to lower your levels is to decrease the amount of cholesterol you consume.
-
Meat
-
Meat--particularly red meat--is the strongest source of dietary cholesterol in the average diet. When doctors recommend a plan of action to help patients lower their cholesterol levels, meat is usually one of the first food groups to be eliminated or decreased. Three ounces of lean ground beef contain about 77 mg of cholesterol. That same amount of ground chuck contains about 90 mg. Two cooked pork sausage links have about 22 mg, and 6 oz. of lean spare ribs have more than 200 mg. A large singe patty cheeseburger packs 88 mg.
Poultry
-
Poultry covers the birds: chicken and turkey. While usually lower in saturated fat than red meats, they are still a high source of cholesterol. Six ounces of roasted light meat turkey contain nearly 120 mg of cholesterol. One patty (82g) made from ground turkey still has 84 mg of cholesterol. Three ounces of boneless, roasted turkey contain 45 mg. One roasted chicken thigh harbors 50 mg. Half a roasted breast has more than 70 mg of cholesterol.
-
Milk
-
The milk that most people drink is cow's milk. Since cows are a major source of cholesterol, their byproducts are as well, although the concentration of cholesterol isn't as high in byproducts as it is in meats. One cup of skim milk contains 4 mg of cholesterol. Whole milk brings it up to 33 mg. Canned, evaporated milk boasts 73 mg. One cup of regular chocolate milk has about 30 mg. Since milk does offer the benefits of vitamin D and calcium, it is a healthy source of nutrition, but strive to pick fat free or low fat choices to minimize your saturated fat intake, as well as cholesterol.
Cheese
-
Cheese is another animal byproduct and it's a rich source of cholesterol. One slice of processed American cheese contains 18 mg. An ounce of cheddar cheese has 30 mg. One cup of nonfat cottage cheese has a mere 10 mg, which is why it's a healthier alternative to whole milk ricotta cheese (125 mg for one cup) in lasagna recipes. A tablespoon of cream cheese contains 16 mg of cholesterol. In recipes, if you aren't comfortable substituting a one-to-one ratio for fat free to full fat cheese, try half of each for rich flavor without the added cholesterol.
Eggs
-
The yolk of an egg is the part with the most cholesterol. One raw egg yolk of a large egg packs a whopping 213 mg of cholesterol. One large fried egg has about 210 mg. If you opt for a liquid egg substitute, a quarter cup has an almost nonexistent 1 mg of cholesterol. While it's true that one egg contains a lot of cholesterol compared to its small size, it also contains valuable protein, folate and zinc for about 75 calories. Instead of eating them ever day, limit yourself to once or twice a week.
-
References
- Photo Credit MorgueFile.com
