How to pick a good greens powder (so you don’t waste your money!)
So you made the decision to buy a greens powder to support your wellness and health journey - that’s awesome! I hope it’s right for you.
I’m sure by now you’ve noticed that there are countless greens powders on the market. Honestly, after reviewing dozens on my TikTok, I am even surprised myself at the number of greens powders you can buy.
This can make things a bit confusing, though. Which is the best brand? What ingredients should you look for? How do I know if it’s overpriced? These are legitimate questions you should and probably are asking yourself.
To help you out, I’ve creating a list of helpful criteria that you can use when deciding which greens powder is right for you (but like I’ll always say, you don’t need one to be healthy)
Fiber content
Ideally, it would be good if the greens powder has at least 3 grams of fiber or more. Only go for lower if you are specifically trying to limit your fiber intake, which may be the case for certain health conditions.
Fruits and vegetables are naturally great sources of fiber, so if you’re trying to get the effects of fruits and vegetables, then fiber should be at top of mind
Why?
Since social media is so focused on gut health and decreasing bloating, it’s important to remember that fiber is the OG of gut health.
Think of fiber like lifting weights but for your gut. It’s used to:
strengthen the gut lining
help form healthy stools
clean out your intestine as digested food moves along
absorb any excess cholesterol and blood sugar, making it AWESOME for managing blood sugar and supporting heart health
You can also sort of think of fiber as a natural detoxer – yes, our body does have its own functioning detoxification system. It slowly moves through your intestine and picks up any waste, byproducts, and potential toxins.
On top of that, fiber acts as a prebiotic, which is essentially food for the healthy bacteria that live in your gut. When healthy gut bacteria have enough food, they’re able to replicate and grow. This helps to support good microbial diversity which is linked with many positive health outcomes, such as improved immune function, digestion, heart health, and mental health, just to name a few.
2. Third-party testing
Third-party testing is important because it helps to ensure:
you’re getting what the label says
your product is free from potential contaminants
overall quality of the product
You can tell if a product is third-party tested usually pretty easily. Most companies are proud of third-party testing, so they’ll add it directly to their label. You can also check out their website too. If you can’t find it, then the product most likely is not third-party tested.
Does that mean the product is bad? No, not necessarily. It just means that you can’t know for sure if the product contains what it says it does.
Usually the most common labels for third-party testing include NSF, NSF Certfied for Sport, Informed Choice, Informed Choice Sport, or the label may simply say “Third-party tested”.
Overall, if you can pick a product that is third-party tested, that’s ideal.
3. Variety of vegetable and fruit
If you’re going to take a greens powder, let’s hope that it gives you a variety of nutrients!
Most greens powders do a good job at providing a variety of different vegetables and fruit – though, whether they’re in high enough quantity is another question.
Ideally, your greens powder actually goes beyond greens and also has vegetables and fruits of a variety of colours, since each colour provides different benefits and nutrients, such as phytochemicals, antioxidants, etc.
Just keep in mind they may not be as potent (strong) as they would be in whole vegetables and fruit.
4. Probiotics
Many greens powders also have probiotics added.
The best thing you can look for is one that has:
A) a variety of probiotic strains
and
B) a large number of probiotics
You can tell how many probiotics are in the product by looking at its CFU (colony forming unit) count.
For example, you may see “1 billion CFUs” or “25 billion CFUs”
While a billion sounds like a lot, it’s not so much when it comes to probiotics.
At this point in time, we don’t have a concrete number, but usually the more the merrier.
Keep in mind that greens powders are NOT probiotic supplements per se. So, you could take a probiotic supplement instead or aim to get probiotics in your diet through foods such as kimchi, natto, sauerkraut, kefir, probiotic yogurts, etc.
If you’re not as concerned about probiotics, then you can let this slide and choose the product you like.
5. Doesn’t make false claims
Too many greens powders make wild, ridiculous claims.
While technically these claims aren’t going to affect the nutrition of the product, I think it’s important to support companies that aren’t making false promises and selling you their product based on lies
Common false claims include:
Helps burn fat
Detoxes your body
Promotes weight loss
Alkalizes your body
Etc.
My favourite companies are those that state greens powders for what they are: An easy way to get in additional nutrients to support overall health.
Also, I love companies that still encourage eating mostly whole vegetables and fruit and using their product as SUPPLEMENT to a nutritious diet.
6. Doesn’t go overboard with vitamins and minerals
Greens powders – and many other supplements – go overboard with added vitamins and minerals.
You’ll see 1000%, 2000%, even 10,000% the RDA of certain vitamins and minerals
This is completely unnecessary for the average person.
If you needed megadoses of a nutrient, it really should be done under medical supervision. Likely, a healthcare professional would give you a dose of a singular nutrient, rather than a general greens powder to improve your levels.
While most of the time it’s not harmful, it’s risky to have excessive doses. Here’s why:
Too high of vitamins and minerals from supplements may actually increase cancer risk in some cases
It may interact negatively with medications or other supplements you’re taking
May lead to unwanted side effects – which are hard to figure out if you’re taking large doses of many nutrients
And if the nutrient is water-soluble, such as B vitamins and vitamin C, then you’ll pee out any extra anyway
7. Price
This is totally personal to you and your own budget.
But, I think some greens powders are overpriced.
Generally, I find most range around $40-50 for a 30 day supply, so anything higher than this is quite pricey.
Keep in mind that some companies that are more well-established and perform more research may be more expensive, such as Athletic Greens.
Regardless of the price, the most important thing is to only buy greens powders if they’re within your means.
Please do not feel pressured AT ALL to buy a greens powder if you can’t afford it.
They are NOT essential for good health.
8. Other factors:
Some products will have added ingredients such as adaptogens (e.g., ashwagandha, lion’s mane, Holy Basil, Ginseng, etc.) which may help support the body’s stress response. Since each product varies in the amounts added, I wouldn’t entirely focus on these when picking a greens powder.
Many products will have added sugars, natural or artificial sweeteners, or sugar alcohols
Depending on your preference, you may wish to pay attention to these ingredients on the ingredient label
Anything that ends in ‘ol’ is a sugar alcohol
Examples of natural sweeteners include Stevia/Steviol and Monk Fruit
Examples of artificial sweeteners include sucralose, aspartame, ACE-K, and saccharin.
Forms of sugar include table sugar (beet sugar or cane sugar), honey, molasses, corn syrup, etc.
Ultimately, the decision is completely yours. At this time in my life, I do not take a greens powder as my approach to health is food first. But, if you feel like you would benefit from one, then power to you! Just be sure to run it by your healthcare provider if you’re taking any medications, supplements, or have an underlying medical condition just to be safe.
To learn more about this topic, check out my YouTube video!
