Cholesterol is required for normal health. Nonetheless, when its level in blood rises beyond the normal level it causes health complications including cardiovascular disease. One of the causes for the rise in serum cholesterol is consumption of diet high in cholesterol. Therefore, adjusting diet is one of the approaches to lower serum cholesterol level and maintaining healthy lifestyle. To achieve that, evidently, low cholesterol foods or even zero cholesterol foods are the choice.

Table: List of low cholesterol foods and their corresponding cholesterol content.

Cholesterol food sources Cholesterol content (mg/ 100 g edible food portion)
Cream, sour, cultured 41.67
Pizza Hut 14" cheese pizza, Thin 'N Crispy Crust 41.00
Cream, sour, reduced fat, cultured 40.00
Sandwich spread, pork, beef 40.00
Cream, fluid, half and half 40.00
Salad dressing, mayonnaise, soybean oil, with salt 36.23
Doughnuts, cake-type, plain (includes unsugared, old-fashioned) 35.71
Fish, fish portions and sticks, frozen, preheated 32.14
Cookies, chocolate chip, prepared from recipe, made with margarine 31.25
Cookies, peanut butter, prepared from recipe 30.00
Cookies, chocolate chip, refrigerated dough, baked 26.92
KELLOGG'S Eggo Lowfat Homestyle Waffles 25.71
Cookies, shortbread, commercially prepared, plain 25.00
Cheese, low fat, cheddar or colby 21.16
Candies, milk chocolate, with almonds 19.51
Cake, snack cakes, creme-filled, chocolate with frosting 18.00
Cookies, brownies, commercially prepared 17.86
Pancakes plain, frozen, ready-to-heat (includes buttermilk) 16.67
Soup, beef broth or bouillon, powder, dry 16.67
Cake, snack cakes, creme-filled, sponge 16.47
Waffles, plain, frozen, ready -to-heat, toasted 15.15
Candies, M&M MARS, MARS MILKY WAY Bar 14.75
Pizza, cheese topping, regular crust, frozen, cooked 14.29
Candies, M&M MARS, M&M's" Milk Chocolate Candies " 14.29
Candies, M&M MARS, SNICKERS Bar 14.04
Candies, NESTLE, CRUNCH Bar and Dessert Topping 13.64
Fast foods, potatoes, hashed brown 12.50
Candies, M&M MARS, M&M's" Peanut Chocolate Candies " 10.00
Crackers, cheese, regular 10.00
Candies, caramels 9.90
Snacks, popcorn, cheese-flavor 9.09
Coleslaw, home-prepared 8.33
Sour dressing, non-butterfat, cultured, filled cream-type 8.33
Doughnuts, yeast-leavened, glazed, enriched (includes honey buns) 7.69
Sweet potato, cooked, candied, home-prepared 7.62
Puddings, vanilla, dry mix, regular, prepared with 2% milk 7.14
Puddings, vanilla, ready-to-eat 7.08
Puddings, chocolate, dry mix, regular, prepared with 2% milk 7.04
Bread, Indian, fry, made with lard (Navajo) 6.67
Salad dressing, italian dressing, reduced fat 6.67
Cookies, oatmeal, commercially prepared, soft-type 6.67
Cheese, cream, fat free 6.41
Salad dressing, russian dressing, low calorie 6.13
Puddings, chocolate, dry mix, instant, prepared with 2% milk 6.12
Snacks, popcorn, caramel-coated, without peanuts 5.68
Pie, chocolate creme, commercially prepared 5.31
Fast foods, chimichanga, with beef 5.17
Soup, onion mix, dehydrated, dry form 5.13
Fast foods, coleslaw 5.05
Snacks, trail mix, regular, with chocolate chips, salted nuts and seeds 4.11
Soup, cream of chicken, canned, prepared with equal volume water, 4.10
Milk, buttermilk, fluid, cultured, lowfat 4.08
Cheese, cottage, lowfat, 1% milkfat 3.98
Yogurt, fruit, low fat, 10 grams protein per 8 ounce 3.96
Soup, chicken noodle, dehydrated, prepared with water 3.96
Snacks, corn-based, extruded, puffs or twists, cheese-flavor 3.53
Candies, carob 3.53
Snacks, tortilla chips, nacho-flavor, reduced fat 3.53
Snacks, potato chips, made from dried potatoes, sour-cream and onion-flavor 3.53
Gravy, beef, canned 3.43
Biscuits, plain or buttermilk, prepared from recipe 3.33
Milk, chocolate, fluid, commercial, lowfat 3.20
Soup, chicken noodle, canned, prepared with equal volume water, 2.90
Soup, chicken with rice, canned, prepared with equal volume water, 2.90
Fast foods, potato, mashed 2.50
Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, Low Fat 100% Natural Granola with Raisins 2.00
Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, QUAKER 100% Natural Cereal with oats, honey, and raisins 1.96
Gravy, chicken, canned 1.68
Gravy, turkey, canned 1.68
Egg substitute, liquid 1.59
Frozen yogurts, vanilla, soft-serve 1.39
Cake, white, prepared from recipe without frosting 1.35
Cake, white, prepared from recipe with coconut frosting 0.89
Puddings, tapioca, ready-to-eat 0.88
Puddings, rice, ready-to-eat 0.88
Bread crumbs, dry, grated, seasoned 0.83

 

LDL cholesterol related links:
"How low should LDL cholesterol be lowered?"
LDL cholesterol lowering and atherosclerosis


Fat related content
Fat: List of Food high in total fat and saturated fatty acids
Unsaturated fat: Food high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat content?

 

Cholesterol in food related content:
Cholesterol: good or bad for health?
Cholesterol: benefits and how to raise HDL cholesterol level
List of cholesterol free foods
Cholesterol content in foods of plant-origin
Cholesterol in beef, chicken, pork, lamb comparison
Cholesterol content in seafoods (tuna, salmon, shrimp)
Cookbooks for low cholesterol diet


Low cholesterol foods list adapted from: USDA National Nutrient Database Reference, Release 18