The 8 Best Greens Powders Of 2023 + Exactly How To Use Them

There may be many conflicting opinions on what constitutes a healthy diet, but there's one thing that virtually every expert agrees on: You should eat more greens. However, if you've always struggled to reach an ideal daily greens intake (hey, no one is perfect), one supplement solution to consider is a greens powder.

Greens powders are dried, powdered forms of vegetables, and sometimes fruits, that can up the nutritional value of your meals. We consulted experts to get the scoop (no pun intended) on the best greens powders out there, and how to use them to achieve your health goals.

Although most people know that it's important to include vegetables in their diet, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 (CDC) estimates that only 1 in 10 Americans get enough vegetables.

While greens powders aren’t a direct substitute nor an excuse to push whole vegetables off your plate, they can help bridge the gap.

Some greens powders use a combination of these methods to get their finished product. That's because dehydrating the whole vegetable can have a stronger taste that's off-putting to some. On the other hand, the juice from fruits and vegetables tends to be a bit sweeter.

But don't be fooled by the name. Many greens powders also contain plenty of beneficial, non-greens ingredients too, like leafy green veggies, fruits, and grasses.

Ingredients vary by brand, but some of the most commonly included are:

Even if you have the best intentions to eat a large variety of greens every day, according to statistics, it's likely that you're falling short. Adding a scoop of greens powder that contains a combination of 30 different vegetable, fruit, botanical, fiber, and superfood ingredients to your smoothie elevates your nutrition game overall.*

But, of course, the important thing is what these nutrient-dense plant ingredient blends do in your body.

A specific class of vegetables, called Brassica (or cruciferous) vegetables often make up the foundation of greens powders. These vegetables help balance hormones, specifically estrogen.* 

Researchers from an older study done on postmenopausal women2 found that certain phytochemicals in cruciferous vegetables can help remove estrogen byproducts.*

Many greens powders contain a variety of cruciferous vegetables, which include:

Greens powders support detoxification by providing your body with nutrients and phytonutrients with intrinsic antioxidant properties to help carry out natural cleansing functions.*

For example, spinach is a rich source of folate and betaine, while spirulina offers methionine, an essential amino acid. 

Folate, betaine, and methionine are compounds that play a vital role in a natural detox process in the body called methylation. 

Cruciferous vegetables and artichokes promote the production of glutathione, one of the most important antioxidants for detoxification3 and helping protect the body from free radicals.*

They also help maintain the body's levels of a compound called metallothionein.* According to one review, metallothionein can attach to heavy metals4 like lead, mercury, and cadmium and help remove them from the body.*

Vegetables are one of the richest sources of vitamins and carotenoids in the diet. So unless you're eating your recommended five servings per day, it's likely that you're falling short on some of these important nutrients.

Greens powders are a simple way to increase the nutrient density of your diet and consume a concentrated blend of fruits and vegetables without a lot of effort. One scoop of greens powders can contain as many as 30 plus different vegetables, fruits, and superfood bioactives.

Because of the potency of greens powders, researchers from one study wanted to see what would happen to the levels of different vitamins in the blood5 after regular supplementation with a fruit, berry, and vegetable powder. 

Participants in the study took six supplement capsules every day for eight weeks. After the testing period, researchers tested blood levels of specific nutrients and found increases in vitamin E, lycopene, vitamin C, and beta-carotene and retinol (two forms of vitamin A).

Greens powders might also help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.* One clinical study looked at how mixing vegetable powder with refined carbohydrates could affect blood sugar levels.

The researchers found that the addition of the vegetable powder helped optimize both the glucose and insulin responses6.*

Green vegetables are rich in nutrients like vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta-carotene that directly support brain health.*

Research suggests that a higher intake of vegetables is associated with better cognitive health and trajectory in older adults7.* Eating vegetables may also improve cognitive function8.*

Adding a greens powder to your day might also help keep your heart healthy.* Researchers from one study9 monitored a group of 40 chiropractic students and faculty members taking a fruit and veggie powder for 90 days.

They found that mixing the greens powder into water and drinking two glasses daily significantly benefited blood pressure in the group, even though they didn't experience any weight loss.*

A typical Western diet is full of processed foods and too many carbohydrates that can decrease the body’s pH, creating a more acidic environment.

A high acid load, as its called, may make you feel less vibrant and healthy. Research shows10 that greens powders can help neutralize acids, decreasing your overall acid load and contributing to improved health.* 

There are lots of different greens powders on the market. Most greens powders contain a combination of dark, leafy greens, fruits, and other non-greens veggies. Here are the ingredients you'll find in the best of the best greens powders.

It probably doesn't come as a surprise that dark, leafy greens make up the basis of many greens powders. That's because greens are low in calories and carbohydrates but loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

In fact, a single serving of kale provides all of the vitamin A that you need for the entire day. Dark, leafy greens have also been connected to promoting better gut health11 and supporting immune function12.*

Although the focus is on green veggies, many greens powders also contain other non-green veggies like root vegetables and fruits, especially berries. This adds vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals to the mix, and it also can improve the flavor. 

Ingredients like beets, carrots, blueberries, and acai have a natural sweetness that makes the powders more palatable.

In some potent blends, you can find sea vegetables like spirulina, chlorella, kelp, and dulse. These sea veggies are rich in natural iodine, a mineral that supports healthy thyroid function.* Sea vegetables also naturally contain magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium, folate, vitamin K, and vitamin C.

Through preclinical and clinical research, sea vegetables have also been linked to processes that support balanced blood sugar levels13 and LDL cholesterol levels14, as well as immune support15.*

In fact, they're so important that Amy Shah, M.D., a double board-certified integrative medicine doctor, says if you could eat only five superfoods, spirulina should be one of them.

Some greens powders also have added "superfood" ingredients, like ginger, turmeric, or ashwagandha. These botanical ingredients give the greens powders an extra nutritional boost.

For example, turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties in the body, while ginger supports healthy digestion and helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels16.*

Ashwagandha, which is categorized as an adaptogen, can help improve the way your body reacts to stress17.* Some greens powders also contain herbs, like parsley, echinacea, and milk thistle.

Although not all greens powders contain prebiotics and/or probiotics, some do.

While vegetables and fruits promote good gut health and a balance of healthy bacteria on their own, targeted prebiotic fiber (e.g. inulin) and probiotic strains can directly nourish and support beneficial bacterial strains and microbial diversity in your gut microbiome.*

Now that you know the multifaceted benefits of greens powders, you might wonder how to get them in your diet.

One of the easiest ways to incorporate greens powders into your day is to add them to smoothies.

You can keep it simple by adding a serving of greens powders to some unsweetened vanilla almond milk in a blender, or you can incorporate your own mix-ins, like half a frozen banana, a squeeze of lemon, hemp or chia seeds, or unsweetened shredded coconut.

If you want to keep your greens powders savory, then you can stir them into soups for an extra dose of veggies or add them to your scrambled eggs. You can even incorporate them into your favorite veggie dishes for added antioxidants.

Here's some recipes we love for using greens powders in clever ways.

Even though greens powders are made of nutrient-dense foods, that doesn't mean they're a good idea for everyone.

Since greens powders contain vegetables in a condensed form, they're also may be concentrated in specific vitamins, like vitamin K, which can interfere with blood-clotting medications.

If you're on blood thinners or other medications or you have chronic health problems, always check in with your doctor before taking a new supplement, greens powders included.

Even if you don't fall into these categories, it's important to make sure you're getting your greens powders from a trusted source.

Make sure the supplement manufacturer can verify that the greens have been tested for quality, for features like purity and potency.

It's even better if the the greens powders have been certified through a third-party testing laboratory. That way, you know you're getting exactly what's listed on the label and nothing else.

And make sure you're sticking to the recommended serving size. A scoop or two per day, along with a healthy, plant-rich diet, is all you need.

Mark Hyman, M.D., a functional medicine doctor, says, "Even with a perfect diet, many things—including depleted soils, the storage and transportation of food, increased stress, and a toxic environment—make it impossible for you to get the nutrients you need solely from the foods you eat."

So greens powders can certainly help increase your overall nutrient and phytonutrient intake,* but they don't replace vegetables.

Greens powders are often lower in fiber than their whole vegetable counterparts. For example, while a typical serving of greens powders with 30 plus vegetable, fruit, etc. ingredients contains 1-3 grams of fiber, a single serving of whole broccoli will give you 3.8 grams.

When fruits and vegetables are dried and turned into a powder, they may not offer the same fullness that chewing the whole foods do.

Studies show18 that when you chew your food, you tend to feel more satisfied and are likely to eat less during the day. That's because chewing seems to have a positive impact on the hormones in your gut that control your appetite and satiety levels.

The best approach is to combine a daily dose of greens powder with a diet that's also rich in plenty of vegetables, fruits, and other nutrient-dense whole foods.

RELATED: What To Look For In A Greens Powder, According To An MD

RELATED: 6 Ways To Sneak More Greens Into Your Day

Taking a greens powder can boost your intake of vegetables, fruits, and other superfoods in a convenient, easy way. But while research shows that greens powders offer many of the same benefits as whole vegetables, they don't take their place. The best approach to greens powders is to include them as part of a healthy, whole-foods-based diet.*