Aldi's easy breakfast recipe that helps lower cholesterol and manage diabetes

One of the UK's favourite budget supermarkets, Aldi, has shared an easy breakfast smoothie - and one of its ingredients could lower cholesterol levels and help manage diabetes.

In a recipe on its website, Aldi has urged people to try the drink. It suggests: "Start your day off well with this healthy smoothie, made with avocado, banana, kiwi and spinach."

Serving four and a prep time of just 10 minutes, it has seven ingredients and a few simple steps . Here's how to make it - and some benefits it could hold.

You may have heard the term 'superfood' before, and while Aldi doesn't call it this, health experts at Benenden say a superfood may describe something that boosts overall wellness. B enenden explains: "According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a ‘superfood’ is classified as any nutrient-rich food that can be beneficial for your health and overall wellbeing."

While bananas, kiwis and spinach are great for us, the most popular could be the avocado - and you can use it in many dishes. An expert from the British Heart Foundation ( BHF ) said that avocados are a bit unusual as fruits go: along with plenty of vitamins, minerals and fibre, they’re also high in fat. The good news is that more than 70% of that fat is the healthier type.

Expert Dell Stanford, a registered dietitian who has more than 15 years’ experience with NHS cardiac rehabilitation patients, said having such a high fat content means avocados contain a higher amount of energy (calories) than other fruits and vegetables too. This means, although avocados are a healthy choice, you have to keep an eye on your portion size if you’re trying to manage your weight.

Avocados are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre, and they’re high in healthy unsaturated fats, so they can be a good fit for heart-healthy diets like the Mediterranean and DASH. Their creamy taste and texture can also make them a satisfying swap for foods such as cheese, butter, and fatty meats, which tend to be higher in less-healthy fats.

About half a medium avocado (80g) counts towards your five-a-day and contains useful amounts of vitamins, including vitamin E and B vitamins, minerals, particularly potassium and manganese, as well as fibre.

Dell added: "Like other fruit and vegetables, avocados can help boost your potassium intake, which studies have linked with lower blood pressure, which in turn helps lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as heart attack and stroke."

In bonus points, it is also low in carbs, meaning "they’re popular with people following lower-carb diets for weight loss or to help manage type 2 diabetes. Plus, most of their carbs are fibre, which supports gut health", she further explained.

Dell highlighted that the fat in avocados "is mostly monounsaturated fat – a type of healthy unsaturated fat.