Cholesterol Content Of Foods | Patient Education - UCSF Health

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If you have risk factors for heart disease, you should not consume more than 200 milligrams of cholesterol a day.

If you do not have risk factors for heart disease, you should limit your cholesterol intake to no more than 300 milligrams a day.

Use the following tables to check the cholesterol and fat content of the foods you eat. This will help you keep track of your daily cholesterol intake.

Note: Cholesterol is only found in animal products. Fruits, vegetables, grains and all other plant foods do not have any cholesterol at all.

Dairy products	Portion	Cholesterol (mg)	Total fat (g)	Saturated fat (g)
Milk (non-fat)	1 cup	4	0	0
Milk (low-fat)	1 cup	10	3	2
Milk (whole)	1 cup	33	8	5
Yogurt (non-fat)	1 cup	10	0	0
Yogurt (whole)	1 cup	29	7	5
Cheddar cheese	1 oz	30	9	6
Cottage cheese (low-fat)	1 cup	10	2	2

Fats	Portion	Cholesterol (mg)	Total fat (g)	Saturated fat (g)
Butter	1 tsp	11	4	3
Margarine	1 tsp	0	4	1
Vegetable oils	1 tsp	0	5	1 - 2

Meats & protein	Portion	Cholesterol (mg)	Total fat (g)	Saturated fat (g)
Tofu	1/2 cup	0	11	2
Pinto beans	1/2 cup	0	1	0
Egg	1	212	5	2
Halibut	3 ½ oz	41	3	0
Salmon	3 ½ oz	63	12	2
Oysters	3 ½ oz	55	2	1
Crab	3 ½ oz	52	1	0
Lobster	3 ½ oz	71	1	0
Tuna (in water)	3 ½ oz	30	1	0
Shrimp	3 ½ oz	194	1	0
Squid	3 ½ oz	231	1	0
Beef (ground, lean)	3 ½ oz	78	18	7
Beef (short ribs)	3 ½ oz	94	42	18
Beef (sirloin)	3 ½ oz	89	12	5
Beef liver	3 ½ oz	389	5	2
Veal (top round)	3 ½ oz	135	5	2
Lamb (foreshank)	3 ½ oz	106	14	6
Ham	3 ½ oz	53	6	2
Pork (tenderloin)	3 ½ oz	79	6	2
Pork (chop)	3 ½ oz	85	25	10
Chicken liver	3 ½ oz	631	6	2
Chicken (no skin)	3 ½ oz	85	5	1

UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider.

Recommended reading

Guidelines for a Low Cholesterol, Low Saturated Fat Diet

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Related clinics

Nutrition Counseling Clinic at Parnassus

400 Parnassus Avenue,, Second Floor San Francisco, CA 94143

(415) 353-2291 M-F, 8 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

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