How to Compare Cholesterol in Meat & Fish

Both meat and seafood contain cholesterol. Cholesterol is a sterol, a fat found in all animal tissue. When comparing seafood and meat, you need to know the complete nutritional makeup of both. As an example, saturated fats are commonly found in low-cholesterol meat. When eaten, however, the liver converts the saturated fats into cholesterol.

Basic Comparison

• How much cholesterol a piece of meat or a piece of fish contains depends on its type. For comparisons, skinless white chicken meat and salmon have similar cholesterol levels and represent your best choices of meat and seafood. Despite the advertising claims of pork being "the other white meat," pork is actually red meat, in the same category as beef, veal and lamb.

Seafood vs Shellfish

• It is essential to distinguish seafood, such as fish, from shellfish, such as shrimp and oysters. Shellfish, including shrimp, oysters and lobsters, have higher cholesterol levels than salmon. Salmon and other fatty fish, however, are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which offsets their cholesterol levels.

Among the Meats

• Cholesterol comparison numbers are often misleading when it comes to cuts of meat, but there are general rules that can guide your eating decisions. As an example, according to the USDA's 2005 nutrient database, "Ounce for ounce, chicken has less total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol than beef." Most organ meats such as liver are high in cholesterol. Eating the skin of chicken, turkey, or duck increases your cholesterol intake.

The Rest of the Meal

• What you eat along with your fish or meat also counts. Supplementing your fish or meat with vegetables, fruit, nuts or grains will add zero additional cholesterol to your meal. It will add many useful vitamins and minerals.