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Which Green Powders Are Failing to Deliver?
Discover which powders are packed with real nutrition, and which are just expensive fluff.
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While most people want to be healthy, nobody feels like swallowing a handful of supplements every morning. But there's no denying that many people need additional micronutrients to help fill the nutritional deficiencies in their diet to support overall health. Green powders are the easiest way to drink everything your body needs in one quick go.
Here's the problem, most of today's fruits and vegetables have far fewer nutrients than they did 50 years ago. So even if you think you're eating healthy, your body may still have some nutritional gaps.
However, not all green powders are created equal, some have 70+ ingredients and others have 10. What's most important is having the right ingredients, otherwise, you can end up paying for a lot of names on a bag.
Thankfully we'll help you sort through the clutter. We analyzed the top green powders on the market. We'll show you what to look for and what to avoid when searching for one that works, plus our top 5.
Why You Need A Green Powder
Better Than A Multivitamin
The nutrients within multivitamins are artificial. As a result, your digestive system will only absorb a fraction of its nutrients because it doesn't recognize it the same way it would with food or a high-quality green powder (derived from food).
Typically, green powders are more easily absorbed than multivitamins. And unlike sugary greens gummies like Grüns, powders contain higher doses, better bioavailability, and far fewer fillers.
Nourish Your Body
Superfoods, like matcha, are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to help support immune function, promote energy levels, and aid in weight management, all while reducing signs of aging.
But not all greens deliver these benefits. Some skip ingredients entirely, like Kiala Greens, which leaves out matcha, rhodiola, and more.
Supercharge Your Diet
Previous generations ate a wider variety of foods than we do — approximately 20 different species per day, leading to more micronutrients and phytonutrients.
If you're not eating 20 different foods per day, a nutritious green powder can help you get there. Just make sure you're not loading up on cheap, sugary blends, or unclear proprietary formulas.
Combat Declining Nutrients
Over the last several decades, modern farming methods (pesticides, fertilizers, etc.) have depleted the nutrients from the topsoil, producing less nutritious fruits and vegetables than in our grandparent's time, but green powders can help fill these gaps.
Choose the Right Fit
Green powders are the best way to cover all your nutritional bases in one simple scoop. Many people enjoy mixing it with their morning glass of water, tea, or smoothie.
The combination of superfoods and gut-boosting probiotics can elevate your health and meet your food diversity goal. This simple morning ritual helps customers stay consistent with their green powder intake, producing the best results.
Pro tip: choose a formula that's easy to mix, like Beyond Greens, which tastes like matcha (not grass) and blends without clumps.
Don't be fooled by brands that pack in 70+ ingredients just to look impressive, like AG1 and Bloom. What matters is not the number of ingredients, but the effectiveness of each one. Here's what you should look for when browsing for a new green powder...
What To Look For In A Green Powder
Chlorella: Powerhouse Algae
Nutrient-dense algae containing high iron and protein content. Chlorella also supports normal blood pressure levels.
Rhodiola: Resilience Boost
An adaptogenic plant with energy and mood-boosting properties and helps promote resiliency in stressful situations.
Matcha: Think Clearer
Matcha contains both caffeine and l-theanine to promote energy without the jitters. It's loaded with antioxidants, tastes great, and supports heart, liver, and brain health. Many powders claim energy benefits but don't include matcha, so make sure it's clearly listed.
Pre+probiotics: Gut Health
Gut health plays a powerful role in immune health and weight management. Helps promote the spread of good bacteria in your gut.
Lion’s Mane: Brain Health
Lion's Mane is used to help strengthen the connection between existing brain cells to support focus and memory.
Functional Mushrooms
Functional mushrooms have many benefits – ranging from being used to help strengthen the connection between existing brain cells to support focus and memory, boosting exercise performance and physical stamina.
Don't Fall For Trends!
It's easy to be tempted by the latest social media trends and new companies. However, it's essential to exercise caution and prioritize brands with a proven track record. Established companies offer stability and credibility, often lacking in newer brands without long-term results or ample customer feedback.
By choosing a company that's been around awhile you’re ensuring peace of mind and a happy wallet!
Choosing the Wrong Green Powder
Digestive Discomfort
Cereal grasses such as wheatgrass, barley, oat, or rye, may sound healthy, but they cannot be properly digested by our stomachs. They contain lectins that can cause bloating, cramping, and gut issues, particularly for people who are gluten-sensitive. AG1, Gruns, Bloom, and Kiala all rely on cereal grasses to bulk up their blends.
Blood Sugar Spikes
Some green powders use fruit powders or added sugars to sweeten the taste, but these can lead to midday crashes, energy dips, and bloating. Bloom is a popular example, while it tastes good, it can leave you feeling bloated and fatigued after the sugar crash.
Too Many Ingredients
70+ ingredients may look impressive, but often lead to underdosed, underperforming blends. Certain ingredients can even cancel each other out or overwhelm your gut. AG1 and Bloom are loaded with ingredients, but hide doses with proprietary blends, so you never really know what you're getting.
Short Refund Policies
Some brands, like Kiala and Bloom, offer short, strict return policies, giving you little time to see if the product really works. And if it ends up irritating your stomach? You could be stuck with an expensive mistake.
Our Top 5 Green Powders
1. Beyond Greens
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Total Ranking
9.7/10
A+
Overall Grade
PROS
- Patented, clinically tested probiotic
- Mushroom complex
- Adaptogens
- Chlorella
- Tastes like matcha
- Reasonably priced at $39.99
- Displays ingredient dosages
- 365-day money-back guarantee
CONS
- Only sold in the US
- Only available online
The Bottom Line
Beyond Greens contains 14 superfood ingredients but the stars are matcha to help with energy and overall health, the patented probiotic lactospore® for optimal gut health, Rhodiola Crenulata for energy, and fighting stress. It also includes 4 different kinds of mushrooms for overall health.
This was one of the only products that we could verify had no hidden additives, fillers, or artificial ingredients, while everything that's in there is highly bioavailable. It was also one of the only green powders that had their product third-party tested.
Live Conscious was founded in 2014 and has a reasonable price point at $39.99. Additionally, their return policy was topnotch — a comprehensive, 365-day, risk-free, money-back guarantee, proving the company stands behind its products. This was a huge advantage versus the competition, along with total effectiveness projections that rivaled any other powder we found.
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Get 10% Off2. AG1
Total Ranking
9.1/10
A-
Overall Grade
PROS
- Probiotics
- Mushroom complex
- Adaptogens
- Chlorella
- Rhodiola
- 60-day Refund Policy
CONS
- Contains cereal grasses
- Contains fruit powders
- No lion's mane
- Too many ingredients
- Proprietary blend (can't see dosages)
- High price point at $132
The Bottom Line
Athletic Greens formulated their product with a whopping 75 ingredients to nourish with the essential micronutrients you need to feel great. This includes milk thistle to detox, a probiotic for gut health, and adaptogens — including Rhodiola Rosea, chlorella, reishi & shiitake mushroom powder.
They have a lot of other great ingredients, but it's difficult to know if any of them are in the correct dosages since they are behind a proprietary blend. Most customers have said that it has a pleasant taste.
Like Live Conscious, they check all the boxes, however, they fall just shy of being great because of their high price point of $132.
Beyond that, Athletic Greens, founded in 2010, offers a comprehensive 60-day return policy so that everyone can try their products completely risk-free.
For all these reasons, Athletic Greens ranks number 2 on our list.
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn More3. Super Greens
Total Ranking
8.9/10
B+
Overall Grade
PROS
- Chlorella
- Antioxidants
- Reasonably priced at $39.96
CONS
- No matcha
- No rhodiola
- No functional mushrooms
- No probiotics
- Contains cereal grasses
- Proprietary blend
- 15-day return policy
The Bottom Line
While customer do enjoy Kiala Greens, its formula does lack key ingredients we would want in a green powder. Since it doesn't include matcha, rhodiola, pre & probiotics, or cordyceps, we couldn't place this higher on our list.
Many users do enjoy the taste and felt this product elevated their health and contributed to their weight management.
Potential customers should also take into account that Kiala, founded in 2021, has a short 15-day refund policy on unopened items plus a restocking fee.
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn More4. Greens & Superfoods
Total Ranking
8.2/10
B-
Overall Grade
PROS
- Probiotics
- Adaptogens
- Rhodiola
- Chlorella
- Reasonably priced at $39.99
CONS
- Contains cereal grasses
- No functional mushrooms
- No lion's mane
- Proprietary blend
- Too many ingredients
- Contains fruit powder
- 15-day return policy
The Bottom Line
Coming in at number 4 on our list is Greens & Superfoods by Bloom. This product is formulated with probiotics, chlorella, adaptogens, and loads of fruit and vegetable extracts.
However, this formula hits its ceiling very quickly due to some key missing ingredients like rhodiola or any sort of mushrooms.
Bloom, founded in 2019, is reasonably priced at $39.99 but their refund policy leaves much to be desired at just 15 days.
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
5. Superfood Greens Gummies
Total Ranking
7.9/10
C+
Overall Grade
PROS
- Prebiotics
- Functional mushrooms
- Reasonably priced at $45
CONS
- No chlorella
- No matcha
- No rhodiola
- No probiotics
- Contains cereal grasses
- Proprietary blend
- 8 grams sugar
- 30-day return policy
The Bottom Line
Grüns is formulated with a proprietary blend that includes prebiotics and a few functional mushrooms. However, it does contain cereal grasses, 8 grams of sugar, and lacks key ingredients like matcha, rhodiola, & chlorella.
While some customers do enjoy Grüns, many have issues with gummies because of the added fillers, less bioavailable nutrients, unreliable dosing, and synthetic vitamins.
Many users do enjoy the taste and the convenience of a prepackaged gummy, but do wish they could get a higher dose to meet their daily greens needs.
Potential customers should also take into account that Grüns was recently founded in 2023 and has a short 30-day refund policy on unopened items.
*Results are based on the Smarter Reviews Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. Please visit product websites for more information.
Learn MoreDisclaimer:
Smarter Reviews is owned and operated by the same company that owns certain products featured on this website, including the products ranked number one.
In addition, we receive compensation from certain companies whose products are featured on this website when you purchase a product using the links on this website.
Go back to pageOur Main Sources
Sources used for research purposes. Smarter-Reviews.com are not officially affiliated with these sites.
What You Will Learn:
Estimated Read Time 5 Minutes
Benefits of a Quality Green Powder
CITATIONS
- https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/standard-american-diet/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541075/
- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0016169&type=printable
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4066283/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3541197/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4684115/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6521003/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5236007/