Cholesterol in Foods
Dietary cholesterol per 100 g and per 100 kcal, ranked. The 2020 Dietary Guidelines dropped the 300 mg/day cap but still say keep it as low as possible within a healthy diet — the table shows where the milligrams actually live.
| Food | Per 100 g | Per 100 kcal | %DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egg (hard-boiled) | 373.0 mg | 240.6 mg | 124% DV |
| Scrambled eggs | 277.0 mg | 185.9 mg | 92% DV |
| Squid (cooked) | 260.0 mg | 148.6 mg | 87% DV |
| Butter | 215.0 mg | 30.0 mg | 72% DV |
| Shrimp (cooked) | 189.0 mg | 190.9 mg | 63% DV |
| Lobster (cooked) | 146.0 mg | 164.0 mg | 49% DV |
| Sardines (canned, drained) | 142.0 mg | 68.3 mg | 47% DV |
| Chicken thigh (roasted) | 133.0 mg | 74.3 mg | 44% DV |
| Lamb loin (cooked) | 114.0 mg | 57.3 mg | 38% DV |
| Gruyère | 110.0 mg | 26.6 mg | 37% DV |
| Beef tallow | 109.0 mg | 12.1 mg | 36% DV |
| Bacon (cooked) | 107.0 mg | 19.5 mg | 36% DV |
| Heavy cream | 103.1 mg | 30.3 mg | 34% DV |
| Cream cheese | 101.0 mg | 28.9 mg | 34% DV |
| Cheddar cheese | 100.0 mg | 24.5 mg | 33% DV |
| Brie | 100.0 mg | 29.9 mg | 33% DV |
| Monterey Jack | 99.8 mg | 26.7 mg | 33% DV |
| Crab (cooked) | 97.0 mg | 116.9 mg | 32% DV |
| Colby | 95.0 mg | 24.1 mg | 32% DV |
| Swiss cheese | 93.0 mg | 23.7 mg | 31% DV |
| Feta | 89.0 mg | 33.6 mg | 30% DV |
| Ground beef (90% lean, cooked) | 88.0 mg | 41.1 mg | 29% DV |
| Corned beef (canned) | 86.0 mg | 34.4 mg | 29% DV |
| Chicken breast (roasted) | 85.0 mg | 51.5 mg | 28% DV |
| Fried chicken (breast) | 85.0 mg | 32.7 mg | 28% DV |
| Turkey breast (roasted) | 80.0 mg | 54.4 mg | 27% DV |
| Oysters (cooked) | 79.0 mg | 77.5 mg | 26% DV |
| Blue cheese | 75.0 mg | 21.2 mg | 25% DV |
| Mackerel (cooked) | 75.0 mg | 28.6 mg | 25% DV |
| Pork chop (cooked) | 73.0 mg | 37.2 mg | 24% DV |
Common questions
How much cholesterol should I eat per day?
The old 300 mg/day limit is gone; current guidance is 'as low as possible without compromising nutrition'. For most people, saturated fat moves blood cholesterol more than dietary cholesterol does — compare the two charts.
Where do these numbers come from?
USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy and Foundation Foods), synced per food with source entry IDs on each food page. One dataset, one per-100 g basis, per-100 kcal computed here.
Method
Values are USDA FoodData Central per-100 g figures (SR Legacy / Foundation), the same rows behind every food page on this site; per-100 kcal is computed as nutrient ÷ kcal × 100. DV = FDA daily value for adults (300 mg for this nutrient, 21 CFR 101.9).