Do Greens Powders Actually Work? A Nutritionist’s Guide to the Best Greens Powders

There are many ways to get your greens. You could add veggies to your smoothie, eat a leafy salad at lunch, or get a scoop of the best greens powder. The latter is certainly the trendiest means to support that inside-out wellness approach.

It’s not uncommon to see formulas by Athletic Greens and Sakara stocking the pantry of the wellness obsessed—many of its users claim that the leafy elixirs are the secret to looking and feeling good. Is it a fad or can the best greens powder actually make a difference in our overall health? Here, two acclaimed nutritionists, plus two brand founders leading the supplement charge, explain the benefits of greens powders with some helpful guidance on choosing the best for you.

Our Favorite Greens Powders

• Best Overall: Athletic Greens AG1, $99
• Best for Protein: Sakara Protein + Greens Super Powder, $90
• Best for Digestion: Primal Harvest Primal Greens, $50
• Best Tasting: Ora Easy Being Green Superfood Greens Powder, $35
• Best for Beginners: Nested Naturals Super Greens, $26
• Best for Smoothies: Garden of Life Raw Organic Green Superfood, $45
• Best for Mind & Body Function: Thorne Daily Greens Plus, $68

In This Article

• Health Benefits of Greens Powder
• Key Ingredients of Greens Powder
• What is greens powder?
• Who Should Take Greens Powder
• Should You Take Greens Powders Daily
• How to Take Greens Powders
• What to Mix Your Greens Powder With
• What to Look for in a Greens Powder
• How to Chose the Best Greens Powder
• Meet the Health Experts

• Why we love it: “With 75 high-quality ingredients, the inspiration behind AG1 was to create a science-driven foundational nutrition supplement that supports whole body health,” says Cole. “The best supplement is the one you’ll actually want to take every day.” This philosophy is certainly something the AG1 consumer resonates with—many of its fans rave that it tastes good, is easy to use, and delivers an improvement in conditions from energy levels to gut health. What’s more, Garcia reveals this as his greens powder of choice.
• Key ingredients: AG1 is a blend of vitamins, minerals, superfoods, probiotics, plant extracts, antioxidants, and an enzyme and mushroom complex.
• How to take it: According to Cole, “Mix 1 scoop of AG1 (or one AG1 Travel Pack) with 8 to 10 ounces of cold water and drink.”
• Taste: Athletic Greens explains that “AG1’s flavor is naturally essenced with vanilla and pineapple” and I couldn't agree more. It has a light, almost-tropical sweetness that's easy on the stomach. But trust, there is no artificial flavoring or sweetners.
• Health Benefits: The benefits are said to range from balanced gut health and improved energy levels to healthier hair, skin, and nails.

• Why we love it: Why do the pros recommend Nested Naturals Super Greens? Garcia says it has “quality ingredients,” while Passler describes it as “a good non-GMO, organic, and vegan option.” Not to mention, one can score a 30-day supply for just under $30—making it an affordable solution for beginners.
• Key ingredients: This powder delivers the leafy greens and grasses you’d expect with probiotics, enzymes, powders, and antioxidants—from spirulina and ginkgo to açai and broccoli.
• How to take it: 1 scoop per day is all you need to experience the benefits of this powder.
• Taste: This powder has a subtle sweetness from monk fruit extract without losing the taste of natural greens.
• Health Benefits: Nested Naturals Super Greens is formulated to help support gut health, bloating, and overall body function.

• Why we love it: “We believe in the power of plants, and everything we do is rooted in honoring plants as medicine,” DuBoise explains as to Sakara’s nutrition pillars. The brand’s powder pairs 12 grams of protein with alkalizing greens and detoxifying algae to support lean muscle, satiation, and proper liver detoxification.
• Key ingredients: “We harness the cleansing and rejuvenating powers of organic spirulina, organic wheatgrass, organic barley grass, and organic chlorella that provide key nutrients such as magnesium, antioxidants, and polyphenols,” she continues, citing research on the relationship between diet and chronic diseases and the effect of greens on human biology. Passler gives it his stamp of approval for “an added boost of protein that’s organic and completely plant based.”
• How to take it: Sakara recommends mixing a scoop of its vanilla-flavored powder with your favorite milk, smoothie, or even baked recipes.
• Taste: I'd liken this to the taste of protein powder; it's not overly leafy which is why it’s often added into oatmeal or matcha lattes.
• Health Benefits: Sakara’s greens powder is formulated to help the body’s detoxification (via its Super Greens Blend) and support lean muscles.

• Why we love it: “Primal greens utilizes many superfoods we’re otherwise missing as well as probiotics and digestive enzymes,” Passler explains. In its GMP-certified facility, the brand creates its supergreens blend of more than 50 vitamin-rich ingredients for well-rounded support.
• Key ingredients: Alongside a handful of fruits, vegetables, and plant extracts like chlorella, ashwagandha, and wheatgrass, there is a 3.5 bil CFU probiotic blend plus two types of mushrooms.
• How to take it: According to Primal Harvest, it’s best to mix 1 scoop with 8 ounces of your favorite beverage or smoothie once or twice per day.
• Taste: According to Primal Harvest, “Primal Greens features a neutral, earthy aroma with a hint of sweetness,” making it excellent for matcha and smoothies. I’ve read that users love to add cinnamon, too.
• Health Benefits: Primal Harvest's Primal Greens supports a healthy immune system, improved digestion, and increased energy levels.

• Why we love it: Garcia describes Garden of Life’s powder as a “very complete formula that has many of the properties of a green juice with added sprouts, enzymes, and antioxidants.”
• Key ingredients: Its blend is certified USDA Organic, NSF Gluten-Free, and Non-GMO Project Verified, with 40 traceable raw greens, sprouts, and vegetables—like barley, buckwheat, apple, broccoli, and wheatgrass—plus pre- and probiotics.
• How to take it: According to Garden of Life, mix 1 scoop into 8 ounces of your favorite water, juice, or smoothie.
• Taste: The Original flavor of this greens powder has a leafy, earthy taste; ideal for someone partial to a traditional greens powder taste. If not, the brand offers Apple and Chocolate flavors, too.
• Health Benefits: How does this Garden of Life powder support the body? It's formulated to support healthy digestion, metabolism, detoxification, and immune system.

• Why we love it: According to Garcia, Thorne is a trusted brand that uses high-quality ingredients—making its greens powder one to consider. It blends 28 ingredients that promote enhanced mind and body function—from improved physical endurance to cognitive performance.
• Key ingredients: To achieve this, Thorne’s powder utilizes an array of mushrooms, spirulina, spinach, kelp, CoQ10, moringa, and ashwagandha. Not to mention spearmint for a refreshing taste.
• How to take it: Thorne recommends mixing 1 scoop with 12 ounces of water or your preferred beverage.
• Taste: Thorne’s Daily Greens Plus boasts a subtle mint flavor that pairs well with smoothies and juices.
• Health Benefits: “Supporting healthy aging” is the goal of this greens powder—meaning, it aims to support for energy production, cognitive performance, and physical recovery.

• Why we love it: There are numerous reasons to gravitate toward Ora’s Superfood Greens Powder, but perhaps the most important is that it tastes great thanks to lemon, orange, and monk fruit. Let’s be real: If it doesn’t taste good, you’re less likely to consume it daily. 
• Key ingredients: Flavoring agents aside, the powder delivers nutrients via a blend of grasses (like barley and wheatgrass), greens (think spinach, kale, broccoli, chlorella, spirulina, and cilantro), ashwaghandha, and prebiotics. That said, Easy Being Green promotes improved mood and sleep quality too.
• How to take it: According to Ora, dissolve 1 scoop of powder into 8 to 12 ounces of water. Or you can add to your favorite smoothie, juice, or even pesto.
• Taste: This has a refreshing orange flavor perfect for mixing with cold water, or your favorite juice and smoothie.
• Health Benefits: Easy Being Green is said to promote regular digestion, plus improved mood and sleep quality.

Sakara’s coveted greens powder supports the brand’s philosophy that greens should be featured in every single meal. Danielle DuBoise, certified holistic health coach, nutritionist, and founder of Sakara, notes that the standard American diet under-delivers an adequate amount of daily greens.

Think of greens supplements as powdered fruit and vegetable blends. According to celebrity nutritionist Dr. Charles Passler, these can be an easy way to add nutrients and minerals that might be missing from your diet. “While getting your nutrients from real whole foods is always ideal, receiving all the desired nutrients from food alone has become increasingly difficult,” he says. “Green supplements can work in a real way to deliver nutrients a person may be lacking.”

In addition to helping you get a sufficient amount of daily servings of fruit and vegetables, “a greens powder can provide energy, detoxification, and improve gut health,” says Garcia, adding that it can be easily incorporated into a healthy diet.

• Improve Gut Health: “They are critical for promoting beneficial bacteria in the gut, providing essential minerals and antioxidants and sulfurous compounds that bind to toxins and help the body eliminate them,” she says, citing research on how greens can support not only natural detoxification but modulation of oxidative stress—plus an array of physical health benefits.
• Immune System Support: Greens powders provide immune system support via carefully chosen vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, C, and D. Plus, Garcia notes that “mushrooms are often added to support immune health.”
• Helps Manage Healthy Blood Pressure: A study by the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine showed that both systolic and diastolic blood pressure can decrease with consistent use of greens powders; the study looked at a 90-day period.

What to Look for in a Greens Powder

Experts explain that the best greens powders include leafy greens like spinach, kale, and parsley; vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage; and wheatgrass, barley grass, spirulina, and chlorella. “A good greens powder is going to be free of artificial dyes, additives, thickening agents, and genetically modified ingredients,” Passler explains. Celebrity nutritionist Oz Garcia echoes this and further advises choosing supplements backed by science and research. For example, Athletic Greens’s AGI uses the NSF for Sport certification to test and verify each batch of the cult-favorite powder. “Supplements are not strictly regulated in the U.S., so it’s important for people to make sure they’re seeking out products that come from a vetted brand and that have been tested and certified by a third-party organization,” says president of Athletic Greens Kat Cole. That being said, consider how brands are sourcing and manufacturing their blends before buying.

We know greens powders provide healthy doses of vegetables and fruits, but what does each ingredient do? Garcia breaks it down.

Vegetables: “Vegetables in greens powders should not compete with eating fresh vegetables, although [they allow you] to get nutrition that may be missed out on when you are short on time or skip meals,” Garcia notes. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals (think potassium, vitamin K, fiber, folate, and vitamin C) that boast various benefits, from lowering inflammation to improving skin. 

Fruits: “Fruits are better eaten fresh, although sometimes its hard to get in enough servings,” he admits. “These powders are also a way to sneak in fruit and vegetables for kids.” Remember: Fruits are excellent sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants like vitamin C.

Seaweed: Many greens powders will likely feature seaweeds and algaes like spirulina or chlorella, as “seaweed is high in iodine, which is an essential nutrient, particularly for thyroid health,” Garcia explains. 

Pre- & Probiotics: “Pre- and probiotics are critical for a healthy gut microbiome,” he details. So a greens powder that features this ingredient means it can not only fill nutrient gaps but support healthy digestion.

Passler believes that today, everyone could benefit from increasing the amount of greens in their diet. “We all face exogenous and endogenous toxins each day that are impossible to avoid (think air, water, etc.), so supporting our gut health and detox pathways is critical to our health and longevity,” Cole adds. 

“Most people can take [greens powders] daily with the exception of those with hypothyroidism,” says Garcia. “Some vegetables, especially the cruciferous ones like kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and bok choy can inhibit thyroid function when consumed in excess (not on occasion).” All this to say, yes, most people can benefit from taking greens powders daily, but check with your physician as you would any other supplement.

Instructions certainly vary by formula, but in general, taking a greens powder can be as simple as mixing a scoop with water. However, if taste is a factor, you’ll likely want to explore other recipes. Passler suggests “blending your green powder with ice, unsweetened almond milk, and fresh berries for a more enjoyable experience.”

So you've selected your chosen greens powder, but are unsure what exactly to mix it with. Generally speaking, taking greens powder is as simple as mixing the recommended dosage (usually one scoop daily) with water. This is what I do each day; and Olympian Allyson Felix does too. But if you want to make greens powder taste better, you can mix it with juice or blend into a smoothie for something fruit-forward. Or, you could amp up the nutritional benefits of your morning hot tea or latte by adding in a scoop there. The choice is really yours; just be sure you’re sticking to the greens powder’s dosage and instructions and you’re good to go.

• Healthy Ingredients: Experts explain that the best greens powders include leafy greens like spinach, kale, and parsley; vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage; and wheatgrass, barley grass, spirulina, and chlorella. “A good greens powder is going to be free of artificial dyes, additives, thickening agents, and genetically modified ingredients,” Passler explains.
• Nutritionist Approved and Certified: Celebrity nutritionist Oz Garcia echoes this and further advises choosing supplements backed by science and research. For example, Athletic Greens’s AGI uses the NSF for Sport certification to test and verify each batch of the cult-favorite powder. “Supplements are not strictly regulated in the U.S., so it’s important for people to make sure they’re seeking out products that come from a vetted brand and that have been tested and certified by a third-party organization,” says president of Athletic Greens Kat Cole. That being said, consider how brands are sourcing and manufacturing their blends before buying.

To choose the best greens powder, we compiled a list of the top-rated, editor-tested, and nutritionist-approved supplements. From there, we consulted our team of experts to share their guidance on what to look for in a greens powder, plus their honest opinions on the most sought-after formulas. Comparing this information with our personal trials, we were able to curate this edit.

• Kat Cole is the president and chief operating officer of Athletic Greens.
• Danielle DuBoise is a certified holistic health coach, nutritionist, and founder and co-CEO of Sakara.
• Oz Garcia is a celebrity nutritionist, known for his approach to nutrition and aging.
• Dr. Charles Passler is a nutritionist to the stars, specializing in detoxification, digestion, metabolic rate, and other nutritional needs.