Ranking the 20 Foods Highest in Cholesterol
Genes Mentioned

Highest cholesterol foods list
According to the National Agricultural Laboratory’s Nutrient Lists from Standard Reference Legacy (2018), the following 20 foods contain the highest amount of cholesterol. Processed, multi-ingredient foods from the list have been deliberately excluded, while single ingredient foodstuffs have the attention. Consider, however, that many of the foods on this list are the main ingredient in other food products, such as eggnog and queso, which typically contain 139-150 mg of cholesterol per cup respectively.Description | Measure | Cholesterol (mg) Per Measure | |
1 | Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, braised | 3.0 oz | 2169 |
2 | Chicken, gizzard, all classes, cooked, simmered | 1.0 cups chopped or dice | 536 |
3 | Egg, yolk, raw, frozen, sugared, pasteurized | 1.0 oz | 260 |
4 | Egg, whole, raw, fresh | 1.0 large | 186 |
5 | Egg, whole, cooked, poached | 1.0 large | 185 |
6 | Egg, whole, cooked, fried | 1.0 large | 184 |
7 | Fish, roe, mixed species, cooked, dry heat | 1.0 oz | 136 |
8 | Cream, fluid, heavy whipping | 1.0 cups, whipped | 136 |
9 | Chicken, broilers or fryers, dark meat, meat only, cooked, fried | 1.0 cups | 134 |
10 | Cheese, feta | 1.0 cups, crumbled | 134 |
11 | Cream, fluid, light whipping | 1.0 cups, whipped | 133 |
12 | Cheese, cheddar (Includes foods for USDA’s Food Distribution Program) | 1.0 cups, diced | 131 |
13 | Turkey, all classes, back, meat and skin, cooked, roasted | 1.0 cups, chopped or diced | 127 |
14 | Pork, fresh, leg (ham), whole, separable lean only, cooked, roasted | 1.0 cups, diced | 127 |
15 | Cheese, muenster | 1.0 cups, diced | 127 |
16 | Cheese, swiss | 1.0 cups, diced | 123 |
17 | Pork, fresh, shoulder, whole, separable lean and fat, cooked, roasted | 1.0 cups, diced | 122 |
18 | Cheese, pasteurized process, swiss | 1.0 cups, diced | 119 |
19 | Chicken, skin (drumsticks and thighs), raw | 4.0 oz | 119 |
20 | Chicken, broilers or fryers, drumstick, meat and skin, cooked, stewed | 1.0 cups, chopped or diced | 116 |
Most common high cholesterol foods
While the list above features foods found to have the highest levels of cholesterol, these aren’t necessarily the key ones to watch out for. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the top sixteen food sources of cholesterol eaten in America in 2005-2006 were:- Eggs, and mixed egg dishes
- Chicken
- Beef, and beef mixed dishes
- Burgers
- Regular cheese
- Sausage, franks, bacon, and ribs
- Other fish and fish mixed dishes
- Grain-based dessert
- Dairy desserts
- Pasta and pasta dishes
- Pizza
- Mexican mixed dishes
- Cold cuts
- Reduced fat milk
- Pork and pork mixed dishes
- Shrimp and shrimp mixed dishes.