Choosing the Best Greens Powder
April 11, 2024 By
Leanne Vogel
April 11, 2024
Greens powders have emerged as dietary supplements comprising a medley of fruits and vegetables, offering a convenient avenue for individuals to supplement their daily nutritional intake.
Even though greens powder supplements are becoming more common, there’s not enough solid science to fully trust all the benefits they claim to have. I’ve carefully looked into greens powders, considering different viewpoints to give you the detailed information you need to decide if you want to use them and which one could be right for you.
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What Are Greens Powders?
Greens powders encapsulate a blend of leafy greens, grasses, antioxidant-rich fruits, seaweed, and select nutritional extracts, occasionally augmented with probiotics or prebiotics. These supplements, which people usually drink mixed in a powdered form, are a practical way to help increase the amount of nutrients you get, especially for those who find it hard to eat enough fruits and vegetables
Best time to take: anytime that’s convenient for you!
Best thing to mix it in: if you’re using a greens powder, chances are you’re wanting to fill in gaps in your nutrition. So, making it as easy to implement as possible is best. If that means into a smoothie, awesome. But the easiest way is just adding to a glass of water.
But! Not all greens powders are awesome. There’s a lot of trash out there, guys. So, I decided to try a bunch of them personally, see how they tasted, then stack em up side by side.
My Picks for The Best Greens Powders:
1. Live It UpSuper Greens
The taste was the best out of all of them, and I LOVE that this greens powder isn’t fortified with vitamins to pump up the nutrition label. All of Live It Up’s vitamin content comes from the natural ingredients in their blend.
Price: $59.99 or $39.99 subscription – $1.99 for 30 servings ($1.33 on subscription)
Noteworthy Features: Made with 100% organic fruits and vegetables, no added nutrients/artificial vitamins, enriched with probiotics and enzymes.
Pros: Organic, no added sweeteners, gluten-free.
Cons: Powder can be a bit messy, only available on their website
Additional Benefits: Offers digestive support, immune system boost, and increased energy with faster recovery.
10% savings until July 1 2024 with code HEALTHFUL10
2. AG1
This is by far the most popular of the brands we’re reviewing today… Everyone online talks about them, so I was already skeptical. Turns out, the skepticism was warranted. This is my least favorite option for all the con reasons mentioned.
Price: $99 – $3.30 per serving for 30 servings
Noteworthy Features: NSF-certified for sport, TGA facility operation
Pros: Comprehensive testing, dietary flexibility.
Cons: Potential contraindications with certain medications, soy-derived lecithin, contains stevia, uses pea protein (so not good for paleo diets, the vitamins in the product are fortified vitamins not natural from plants like other options, only 7 of 48 ingredients are organic, expensive).
3. Your Super Green, Superfood Smoothie Powder
I like the simplicity of this product, I think it could be good for anyone that has a lot of sensitivities or is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of added ingredients in other options, and just wants something simple and straight to the point. It’s a greens powder. That’s it, that’s all.
Price: $24.29 – $0.80 per serving for 30 servings
Noteworthy Features: It’s 100% organic
Pros: Basic ingredient list, no fillers, lower carb than other options at just 3 grams per serving, not sweetened with anything and doesn’t use flavors or enhancers of any kind
Cons: not a lot of bedazzle when it comes to added benefits
4. Vibrant Health Green Vibrance
Of all choices, this was the worst on texture. If you want a smoother option, this is not it.
Price: $32 – $2.13 for serving for 15 servings
Noteworthy Features: 100% organic and contains ingredients to support the liver including dandelion root, milk thistle, and burdock root
Pros: Enriched with 25 billion CFU probiotics, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes making it and all around supplement to support immune, inflammation, adrenals, digestion
Cons: contains calcium (problematic for those with thyroid issues), higher in carbs at 8 grams per serving, contains rice which could be problematic for some, texture isn’t awesome
5. Amazing Grass Greens Blend
Amazing Grass is not made entirely with organic fruits and vegetables, specifically the acerola cherry extract, green tea leaf extract, raspberry, apple pectin, and peppermint leaf. They also use a food additive (silica) in their formula for anti-caking purposes… not sure it’s needed.
Price: Cost: $26.14 – $0.87 per serving for 30 servings
Noteworthy Features: Gluten-free, non-GMO, no added sugar.
Pros: Antioxidant blend
Cons: 5 grams carbs per serving, not sure on how many probiotic CFUs there are in the product as it doesn’t state details, uses silica as an anti-caking agent
6. Garden of Life Raw Organic Perfect Food Green SuperFood
If you can get your hands on this product, lucky you! It’s hard to find. I’m not a huge Garden of Life fan – I find most of their products to be overpriced, over marketed, and never sit well with peoples’ palettes.
Price: $39.19 – $1.31 per serving for 30 servings
Noteworthy Features: USDA-certified organic ingredients, diverse flavor options, enzymes, probiotics, sprouted blend (could be easier on digestion than other options)
Pros: pineapple flavor, no sweeteners
Cons: uses sesame (a common allergen), uses rice (not great for all people, doesn’t say ““gluten-free”).
Tips For Choosing the Best Greens Powder for You
In navigating the complex terrain of greens powders, consumers are urged to exercise discernment, considering factors such as nutrient composition, third-party testing, and budgetary constraints. While greens powders offer a potential avenue to fortify nutritional intake, their efficacy warrants further scientific scrutiny. By leveraging evidence-based insights, consumers can embark on a journey towards holistic well-being, mindful of the nuances inherent in selecting dietary supplements.
If you ask me, on pros versus cons, taste, and everything in between, Live It Up wins. I’d recommend this product to a friend. 10% savings until July 1 2024 with code HEALTHFUL10 on the Live It Up Greens Powder.
Note, all of these options have cereal grasses. So, if you are celiac, I would avoid all of this and go for a cereal grass-free greens powder (code KETO at checkout).
