The Best Greens Powders
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The health supplement market is both booming and, as far as the Food and Drug Administration is concerned, unregulated. I took a deep dive into the world of greens powders, speaking with dietitians and trying popular brands to uncover whether or not they're worth the money—and if so, which ones are.
In short, greens powders aren’t harmful, but ultimately, dietitians agree (see below) that they're not a replacement for a healthy, varied diet. You need to eat your greens, plain and simple. Your body needs fruits and veggies.
For most people, greens powders are going to be an expensive product that may or may not help them. But if you’re someone who doesn’t eat enough fruits and veggies, and you speak with your doctor beforehand to ensure the ingredients are safe based on your own medical history and needs, greens powders may help bridge the gap. They’re sort of like multivitamins (which are also unregulated by the FDA)—your body will take what it needs and flush the rest down the toilet. And if you don’t know what your body is lacking, the best and likely least expensive course of action is to go to the doctor and figure it out before you start throwing vitamin spaghetti at the wall that is your overall health.
Ultimately, you (and your doctor!) should figure out which powder—if any—is best for your needs. But I’ve tried a ton of them. And I have noticed better, smoother digestion; heightened energy levels; and a general sense of wellness. I love fruits and veggies, but I also tend to eat like a 5-year-old with access to grown-up money. One personal anecdote that may be useful is that drinking a greens smoothie in the morning makes me feel healthier all day. You know how when you have a super healthy meal for lunch, you think more carefully about what you’ll have for dinner? Greens powders make me consider my choices carefully all day long. I drink more water, I eat more mindfully, and I feel like a Fitness Queen much more so than on the days where I wait until 4 pm to eat anything but coffee.
I think greens powders make sense for me as a supplement, but I refuse to be separated from my kale salads and fruit plates. Or my Hot Cheetos. Life is about balance, after all.
Updated March 2025: We’ve added three new greens powders from Nourish, Primal Greens, and Organifi. We’ve also ensured accurate links and prices throughout.
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How I Tested
I drank each green powder at least three times (unless otherwise listed), first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach. I mixed the recommended serving size with 10 to 12 ounces of cold water. I tested one powder at a time before moving to the next a few days later.
Experts Weigh In
Shelley Balls, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Consumer Health Digest, says that while greens powders may be beneficial when used in addition to a healthy diet, they fail to provide your body with adequate dietary fiber, and they’re not a substitute for a poor eating pattern. She’d recommend spending your money on “whole foods that contain ample sources of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, over green powders.” She also says that if you like the convenience of greens powders, “you might find frozen, canned, and pre-washed/chopped options helpful to boost your veggie intake.”
Dawn Menning, a registered dietitian and director for digital health with the Nutu App, agrees, saying that, “According to the CDC, only 10 percent of American adults meet the dietary recommendations for fruits and vegetables. With that in mind, green powders may be a convenient way for some individuals to fill in these nutritional gaps. But green powders shouldn’t replace eating whole fruits and vegetables.” She adds that if you already eat a healthy variety of fruits and veggies, “you probably don’t need a green powder.”
One thing to consider in the “pro” category: Per Trista Best, a registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements, “green powder supplements can be beneficial for vegetarians” because they can help fill nutritional gaps, especially regarding iron. She says, “Iron is one key nutrient that may be lacking in a vegetarian diet. While iron is found in a variety of plant-based foods, it is not as easily absorbed by the body as the iron found in meat.”
And when it comes to “super” ingredients, a word often emblazoned across the packaging of various greens powders, like spirulina or adaptogens, Balls says that there are some possible benefits but that there isn’t an abundance of research that supports their use. And some of these ingredients can interact with certain medications or trigger autoimmune disorders.
- Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Tried and True
Bloom Nutrition Superfood Greens PowderBloom is the brand I’ve used the longest. Senior commerce editor Kat Merck also drank Bloom for a long time. I’ve tried a few different flavors of Bloom greens, including Strawberry Kiwi (a hit!), Mango (a huge miss!), and Pineapple (somewhere in the middle). I didn’t think it was too sweet until I started trying other brands for this guide. The flavors can be quite saccharine in comparison to other brands and have left me with an artificial taste in my mouth. They don’t taste bad—they just lean too sweet for me, even if I dilute the powder more than it calls for.
Each serving has 20 calories, 4 grams of cabohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 150 percent of your daily Vitamin B12, 3 percent of your daily iron, and very low sodium. There are pre- and probiotics, fruits and veggies, antioxidants, adaptogens, and digestive enzymes. I did notice that Bloom’s powders helped me feel less bloated, and they helped regulate some of my digestive issues. And I do like the tub packaging, which doesn’t take up too much room on my counter and is easier to use than bulky bags. Ultimately, if you don’t want your greens to taste like greens, Bloom is worth checking out.
- Photograph: Louryn Strampe
The Best-Tasting Greens
Groove Greens PowderI tried the Wild Strawberry Kiwi flavor of Groove, which tasted fantastic—fresh, sweet, bright—and the Ginger Peach flavor, which was a little spicy, a little sweet, and reminded me of a wellness juice shot. Both were delicious. One thing I will say is that the scoop design has a little groove on the back that collects powder and makes things a bit messy, so I recommend storing the scoop outside of the powder bag. It also took a little bit longer to dissolve than some other brands I tried. But it tastes like a mocktail or a bottled juice, not like a supplement.
Each serving contains 20 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, your daily values of vitamins C and D, a ton of Vitamin B12, plus 8 percent of your daily iron. There are superfoods, vitamins, minerals, fiber (not much, but it’s there), antioxidants, probiotics, and digestive enzymes. The brand touts Alpha GPC (a form of choline), freeze-dried coconut water, and of course the ever-buzzy superfoods like various grasses and spirulina. I noticed higher energy levels than with other greens powders I tried, less bloating, and happier digestion. Let it be known that these greens don’t taste like fruits or veggies at all, really. If you want your greens to taste more green, another brand might be a better option. But for me, this hit the spot.
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- Photograph: Louryn Strampe
The Priciest Powder
Athletic Greens AG1You’ve probably seen commercials for AG1 on YouTube or social media. The sleek, minimalist branding makes it feel elite compared to some other brands. And the same thought is put into the packaging—my AG1 kit came complete with a metal scoop and a slick metal storage canister. AG1 is unique because the powder requires refrigeration due to the live probiotics and whole-food ingredients. The canister makes it feel a little more luxe than other stuff that lives on your kitchen counter. Just be aware that it will be crazy dusty in your kitchen when you dump the pack of greens into the canister. I also got a sleek plastic shaker bottle that worked fine. It wasn’t as good as my dedicated shaker bottle, but it was easy to hold and certainly made me look more like a world-class athlete.
AG1 has a strange flavor that’s hard to describe. It sort of tastes milky, fruity, vegetable-y, and meaty? All at once? It’s not unpleasant, but it definitely tastes like Health Food. The company says it tastes like vanilla and pineapple, and you’ll also get notes of papaya, broccoli, cherry, carrot, and a bit of stevia. There are no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or additives. I don’t think it tastes bad at all. It just tastes healthy. Each serving contains 50 calories, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, and very low sodium. There are 75 total ingredients, including vitamins and minerals, pre- and probiotics, stress adaptogens, antioxidants, “superfoods and mushrooms,” and ingredients for digestion support.
I noticed smoother digestion, higher baseline energy levels, and healthier skin. One thing I’ll note is that AG1 is quite expensive—$99 for a monthly supply. That’s a whole lot of money for something that could arguably be replaced by a healthy diet. Another thing to note is that AG1 is NSF certified, meaning it’s been tested by an independent third party that certifies the ingredients listed are exactly what’s in the product. I think it’s overpriced, point blank period. But if you feel inclined to spend $100 a month on a thing that may or may not benefit you, it’s a fine option.
- Photograph: Louryn Strampe
If You Prefer Unflavored
Primal Harvest Super Greens PowderPrimal Harvest Super Greens taste like basically nothing after trying all of the others in this guide. There’s a vague hint of cinnamon, or floral tea notes, or a bit of vanilla, but overall this has a clean, inoffensive flavor. Chugging a glass of it felt like chugging a gritty glass of water. It didn’t dissolve quite so readily as some of the other powders I tried, but if you treat greens like another vitamin or supplement in your routine, this product was quite agreeable in terms of texture and flavor. It helped with my digestion but I did feel a bit bloated after drinking it.
Each serving contains 35 calories; 1 gram of protein; 6 grams of carbohydrates; several vitamins (including vitamins C, E, B12); zinc; a “superfood, antioxidant, and mushroom blend”; a probiotic; and more. Note that it isn’t a notable source of fiber, so make sure you’re getting that elsewhere in your diet.
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- Photograph: Louryn Strampe
If You Want Your Greens to Taste Like Something Else Entirely
Organifi Green Juice PowderOrganifi’s Green Juice is widely available in the original mint flavor (though if you shop through its website, there’s an apple flavor as well). Most of the greens in this guide are best served cold, and I’d say that’s doubly true for Organifi. The mint flavor was a bit jarring at first. It tastes like minty spearmint gum, and it was a bit strange to be drinking a mint-flavored beverage. Once I convinced my brain that everything was OK, the rest of the drink went down smoothly, with minimal grit. I liked the apple flavor more, which was a bit like “generic fruit” with notes of banana and citrus. Both flavors were sweet without being too sweet.
My one complaint about Organifi is that I found the pouches really difficult to close. If you decant the powder into a jar it’ll be fine, but I ended up storing mine upright in a gallon-size ziplock to avoid accidental spills.
Each serving contains 31 calories, 1 gram of fiber, 7 grams of carbohydrates, and 1 gram of protein. This powder smoothed out my digestion and made me feel less bloated.
- Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Greens and Vitamins
LTH Nourish Daily Multi Plus GreensThis powder looks kind of gross. I said it! It’s a sort of brownish color with little specks of orange, and I was intimidated when I opened the canister. Unlike most other powders, which advise at least 8 ounces of water per serving, Nourish Multi + Greens requires a minimum of 12 ounces per serving. It tastes bitter, fermented, fizzy, and sweet all at once. It reminded me of Airborne supplements. While the taste is a bit much, it also does a really good job at masking the savory notes that I find so off-putting in other greens powders. It’s a good balance between “healthy-tasting” and “tasty.” Also unlike other greens powders, this one contains a multivitamin blend as well as traditional greens ingredients—so upon close examination of the ingredients list, you may be able to eliminate some of the vitamins you’re taking.
Each serving contains 30 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fiber. Additional vitamins include A, C, D, E, B6, B12, plus thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, biotin, iron, iodine, copper, potassium, and more Some of the buzzy ingredients in addition to greens include a mushroom blend (with reishi, king trumpet, shiitake, lion’s mane, and turkey tail), a fruit blend, ashwagandha, probiotics, and something called AstaReal Astaxanthin (which the company says supports eye health and antiaging). All I know is that it made me feel like I could conquer the world, and by “the world” I mean “my healthy eating goals for the rest of the day.”
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- Photograph: Louryn Strampe
A Balanced Supplement
Live It Up Super GreensThis greens powder is very subtle. It’s almost unflavored, both the plain version and the Wild Berry version. The instructions aren’t super clear—the packaging says to add a scoop to juice, water, or milk. I mixed mine with 10 ounces of water and it was fine. It didn’t taste great and it didn’t taste bad. It’s vaguely earthy, a little sweet, but mostly neutral. Because of that, I think this is the best candidate for mixing into other drinks. You’ll get a kick of “healthy” flavor without risking overpowering whatever it is you’re drinking.
Each serving contains 25 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, 3 grams of dietary fiber, a bunch of vitamins (including K, A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, and B5), folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, iodine … the list goes on. The brand lists each ingredient and the reasons for inclusion on the website, a deep dive that I appreciate (though again, these are not regulated by the FDA). You’ll get probiotics. You’ll get enzymes. You’ll get the superest of superfoods. I noticed higher energy levels and a healthier-feeling gut. If you already have a morning smoothie routine going, or you want something that tastes healthy without tasting like straight-up grass, I think adding in this powder makes sense.
- Photograph: Kat Merck
Challenging but Nutrient-Packed
Zena Nutrition Greens Organic Supergreens Fruits & VegetablesA longtime staple at my exurban Costco, a bag of Zena Greens comes with 30 (or 45 at the big-box store) portable 0.4-ounce stick packets of powder. “I put it in smoothies!” the sample vendor told me the last time I walked by, which is really more of a warning than a suggestion, as I can confirm after drinking it for nearly four months that the texture is slightly gritty, with a taste and appearance strongly reminiscent of algae. (One Amazon reviewer described it as “‘I'm drinking a salad’ flavor.”)
This is to be expected, as organic spirulina powder is number five on the extensive list of ingredients, which also includes 5 grams of fiber—more than any of the powders we tested—plus 1 mg of iron, 29 mg of calcium, and 2 grams of protein. The flavor (I’ve only tried Mixed Berry) does little to mitigate the taste and texture, so this isn't exactly a “beginner” option for those trying powdered greens for the first time. However, it is a worthwhile step up from a more palatable powder like Bloom, as it has 70+ superfoods and probiotics in addition to the decent serving of fiber—many days I’ve gotten away with one packet as a breakfast. —Kat Merck
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- Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Don’t Forget a Shaker Cup
BlenderBottle Strada TritanPowdered supplements can take a while to dissolve, but a shaker bottle helps speed things along. I’ve tried many different bottles from BlenderBottle, and while they’re all great, the dishwasher-safe Strada Tritan is my favorite. It’s available in many different color combinations—if you buy on BlenderBottle's website, you can choose the bottle color and the ball color—and it has handy measurement lines on the sides. The flip cap is easy to drink from, and it locks as well for extra leak protection. Press the button to flip the lid and take a sip, then close the lid and slide the switch to lock it. Easy-peasy.
The bottle doesn’t absorb any odors, even if you accidentally leave it in your gym bag for an undisclosed period of time, and the whisking balls (both the plastic Color model and the traditional Wire model) dissolve powder superfast. The inner seal even has a little tab so you can pull it out and clean it separately. I’ve used this cup for greens, creatine, and protein powders, and it always mixes up my drinks in just a few seconds of shaking.
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Greens Powders We Don’t Recommend
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Huel Daily Greens for $50: Huel’s greens powders come in a big bag with a scoop, and an optional shaker bottle that is included for free if you purchase from the Huel website for the first time. The normal flavor is horrifyingly bad. I am not a person who gags easily, ever, and I thought I was going to actually hurl as I walked around my kitchen gagging after trying it. It is oddly reminiscent of banana, but specifically the white stringy parts of a banana, mixed with the way dog food smells. It’s bitter, savory, and vaguely sweet at the same time. I could only sip it a few times to get those tasting notes down before I dumped it down the drain. The Watermelon flavor is, somehow, even worse. Like if you drank whole milk mixed with a watermelon seltzer water and added in a dash of white button mushrooms. I won’t tell you what’s in this powder because I can’t in good conscience recommend it to you. Even if you hate the taste of Brussels sprouts, I promise they’re still preferable to this supplement. And! To add insult to injury, this vile powder made me gassy, which I am unfortunately admitting to you here on the internet in the hope that it further persuades you to try something else.
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