What Does 100% of Your Daily Value of Cholesterol Look Like?

It’s no secret that eating fatty foods raises your bad cholesterol level, also known as LDL. An elevated LDL clogs up your arteries and makes it difficult for your heart to do its job. Potentially, it could lead to heart disease.

The USDA recommends consuming no more than 300 mg of cholesterol a day. While a deep-fried Twinkie at the county fair is an obvious no-no, other high cholesterol culprits may be sneaking into your diet. Check out what that number looks like in terms of everyday food items.

Warning: you may need to revise your grocery list—and your eating habits!

Fried Chicken:

4 pieces=300mg cholesterol

Croissants:

6 2/3 rolls=300mg cholesterol

Cheddar Cheese:

12 3/4 slices=300mg cholesterol

Prosciutto:

28 slices=300mg cholesterol

Corned Beef:

14 thin slices=300mg cholesterol

Butter:

1 1/5 sticks=300mg cholesterol

Ice Cream:

14 small scoops=300mg cholesterol

Egg Yolk:

1 1/4 yolks=300mg cholesterol

Lobster:

1 lobster tail=300mg cholesterol

Jack’s Extreme Sausage Sandwich:

1 sandwich=300mg cholesterol

BK Double Whopper w/cheese B:

1 3/5 sandwiches=300mg cholesterol

Cream Cheese:

1 1/5 bricks=300mg cholesterol

Bacon:

22 pcs=300mg cholesterol

Steak:

4 1/2 4 oz steaks=300mg cholesterol

Raw Oysters:

12 large=300mg cholesterol

Shrimp:

50 pcs 41-50 ct=300mg cholesterol

McDs Sausage Egg McMuffin:

1 1/5 sandwiches=300mg cholesterol

Hot Dogs:

11 1/10 dogs=300mg cholesterol

Salami:

14 1/4 slices=300mg cholesterol

Blueberry Muffins:

10 med (3.65 oz)=300mg cholesterol

The amount of food in each photo represents your entire daily recommended value of cholesterol. These photos were shot with a Canon 7D DSLR. The plate shown is 10.25 in. (26 cm).

The USDA recommends no more than 300 mg a day—but that’s not a number you should strive for. Saturated and trans fats are not part of a balanced diet. You should limit them as much as possible.

Replace saturated and trans fats with healthy fats, such as those found in mono- and polyunsaturated fats food sources. For example, cook with olive oil instead of butter. Drink fat-free milk instead of whole. Eat more fish and less red meat.

 

Article provided by healthline.com

Article Sources:
USDA- Fried Chicken Source
USDA-Croissant Source
USDA- Cheddar Cheese Source
Boar’s Head-Prosciutto Source
USDA-Corned Beef Source
USDA- Butter Source
USDA- Ice Cream Source
USDA- Egg Yolk Source
USDA- Lobster Source
Jack in the Box- Extreme Sausage Sandwich Source
USDA- Double Whopper Source
USDA- Cream Cheese Source
USDA- Bacon Source
USDA- Steak Source
USDA- Oyster Source
USDA- Shrimp Source
USDA- Sausage McMuffin
USDA- Hot Dog Source
USDA- Salami Source
USDA- Blueberry Muffin Source