Cholesterol Intake Limit Calculator

How it is calculated

You enter what you ate in a day in milligrams and pick a health status. The limit is a fixed figure: 300 mg for the default healthy status and 200 mg for at-risk. The tool then calculates remaining = limit − intake (milligrams, two decimals) and share of limit = intake ÷ limit × 100. A negative remaining value means you are over the limit, and the percentage goes above 100. An intake of 0 is accepted, but a negative intake gives no result, and any status other than at-risk is treated as healthy. This is a daily comparison only. Current dietary guidelines in some countries no longer set a numeric cholesterol cap, so the 300 and 200 mg figures are the traditional reference values.

Common mistakes

• Entering grams instead of milligrams. A label saying 0.185 g of cholesterol must be typed as 185, otherwise the day looks almost empty.
• Entering the cholesterol of one food and expecting a daily verdict. The tool compares one number with the daily limit, so add all foods of the day first.
• Leaving the health status on its default when you have been told you are at higher risk. The limit then stays at 300 mg instead of 200 mg.
• Reading a negative remaining value as an error. A figure like −150.00 mg simply means you are 150 mg over the chosen limit.
• Confusing dietary cholesterol with blood cholesterol. The tool says nothing about your lab values, and saturated fat affects them as well, which this tool does not cover.