Looking for the most effective, tasty and economical greens powder on the market right now? In this article we wade through the greens powder market to bring you the best of the best, separated by category, so you know exactly what you need to buy to meet your greens powder goals.
Why Take a Greens Powder?
Greens Powders, once a fringe product, have become mainstream in the last few years. That has resulted in a large number of players entering the marketplace. The popularity of greens powders has no doubt been fueled by a growing awareness of how badly most people’s eating habits are meeting their nutrient needs.
In addition to poor food choices, intensive farming and soil depletion have robbed even the good foods of most of their nutrition density. Greens powders are designed to meet your vitamin and mineral needs in the form of an easy to digest drink that also provides the benefits of plant chemicals and antioxidants.
Greens powders provide the same vitamin and mineral content that you get in your multi-vitamin.
However, they also provide:
- Antioxidants
- Probiotic bacteria
- Digestive enzymes
- Phytochemicals
- Polyphenols
Rather than going into your body in the form of isolated vitamins or minerals, Greens powders are derived from real food and go into your body the way they were meant to, whole and integrated with other compounds.
Greens powders are made up of a combination of such grasses as barley, wheatgrass, algae, vegetables and fruits. They also provide compounds that are found in plants that you will not get in your multivitamin. These include chlorophyll and such phytonutrients as carbinol and glucosinolate.
Because they contain plant content, greens powders are a good source of fiber, which makes them great for promoting gut health, digestion and elimination. Greens products are generally better for gut health than multivitamins.
Best 8 Greens Powders We Tested:
- Best Overall: Athletic Greens Ultimate Daily
- Best for Fiber: Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens
- Best for Transparency: Kaged Muscle Outlive 100
- Best Vitamin Profile: PlantRise SuperGreens72
- Best Value for Money / Best for Antioxidants: ORAC-Energy Greens
- Best for Bacteria: MacroLife Naturals Macro Greens Superfood
- Best for Detox: Organifi Green Juice
- Best Organic: Organixx OrganiGreens
Find the top Greens Powders we tested:
1. Athletic Greens Ultimate Daily: Best Overall
Athletic Greens Ultimate Daily includes more than 75 different ingredients that are broken down into various categories. There is a multivitamin and multi mineral inside the supplement, along with a prebiotic to feed gut bacteria as well as probiotics. There are also around 50 extracts from fruits and vegetables, plants and roots. It all adds up to the most powerful, complete and effective greens powder on the market in 2021.
Highlights
- Extremely nutrient dense
- NSF certified
- Great taste
Pros
- 75+ ingredients
- Contains a multi vitamin/mineral complex
- Prebiotics + probiotics
- Awesome taste
Cons
- Expensive
- Some proprietary blends
Why You Should Purchase Athletic Greens Ultimate Daily
Athletic Greens has been on the market for more than a decade and has established itself as one of the most popular and reliable greens powders out there. Unlike many competitors, it is NSF certified. That means that it has gone through an exhaustive process that requires complete transparency and regular auditing. The pre and probiotic ingredients are beneficial for people who suffer from digestive issues.
Athletic Greens, unlike many competitors, tastes great. It is also easy to mix, producing a smooth, chunk free juice that you will enjoy drinking. There is none of that chalky, bitter taste with this product. The flavor is enhanced by the addition of pineapple, vanilla and papaya.
Athletic Greens contains the following complexes:
- Alkaline, Nutrient-Dense Raw Superfood Complex
- Nutrient-Dense Natural Extracts, Herbs & Antioxidants
- Digestive Enzymes and Super Mushroom Complex
- Dairy-Free Probiotics
- Essential Vitamins and Minerals
This the most comprehensive, well dosed greens product that you can find.
What We Didn’t Like About Athletic Greens Ultimate Daily
The biggest problem with Athletic Greens Ultimate Daily is the price. A 30 day supply, consisting of 30 individual pouches, will cost you $97. That comes to $3.23 per daily serve, which is extremely high. You can sign up to a subscription service, which will bring the cost down to $77, but that will tie you into automatic monthly renewals
Some of the blends in this product are also proprietary, so you do not know how much of each ingredient you are getting.
2. Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens: Best for Fiber
Highlights
- Complete Transparency
- Researched doses
- Sweetener, coloring and preservative free
Pros
- No proprietary blends
- 4 grams fiber
- Well dosed
- Completely natural
- Gluten free
- Sea greens
- Prebiotic fiber
Cons
- Only 6 ingredients
- Light on vitamin and minerals
Why You Should Purchase Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens
When it comes to ingredients, Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens is on the opposite extreme to Athletics Greens. That’s because it contains just six ingredients. That means that you will not get as great a range of nutrients. However, those six ingredients have solid science behind them and they are dosed according to that science. And, as you would expect with Transparent Labs, you know exactly how much of each ingredient you are getting.
Here is what you get in Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens:
- Spirulina (3,000 mg)
- Organic Chlorella (3,000 mg)
- Organic Acacia Fiber (3,000 mg)
- Organic Green Banana Flour (3,000 mg)
- Organic Jerusalem Artichoke Fiber (1,000 mg)
- Chicory Root (1,000 mg)
Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens are the best option for fiber. You get 4 grams per serving, which is way higher than any of the competition. The compounds in this product are all rich in prebiotics and antioxidants. If that is your focus, rather than getting in a wider multivitamin and mineral coverage, then this is the product for you.A one month supply of Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens will cost you $39, which works out to $1.30 per day. That puts it in the lower-middle of the market.
What We Didn’t Like About Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens
Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens does not provide you with the wide nutritional coverage that you get from many of its competitors. It is light on micronutrients and adaptogens.
3. Kaged Muscle Outlive 100: Best for Transparency
Highlights
- Contains 26 superfoods
- Full transparency
- Vegan
Pros
- 26 ingredients
- 2 tasty flavors
- 5 blends
- Cleanses and detoxifies
Cons
- May taste too plant based for some people
Why You Should Purchase Kaged Muscle Outlive 100: Best for Stress
Kaged Muscle Outlive 100 provides 26 ingredients in 5 separate blends, each designed to provide for specific nutritional needs.
The blends are:
- Greens blend
- Superfood & antioxidant blend
- Cleanse & detox blend
- Fiber & digestion blend
- Adaptogen
The Greens blend includes wheatgrass, spirulina and barley grass to provide a rich supply of such vitamins and minerals as airon, calcium, magnesium and fiber. The Adaptogen blend provides Ashwagandha, which is a powerful anti stress ingredient.
Kaged Muscle Outlive 100 provides complete transparency as far as ingredients and doses is concerned. It comes in two flavors, Apple Cinnamon and Berry.
What We Didn’t Like About Kaged Muscle Outlive 100
Some people might find the Apple Cinnamon flavor to taste too much like eating a plant. Apart from that, Kaged Muscle tastes pretty good. This product does include black pepper so if you have an allergy you might want to avoid it.
4. PlantRise SuperGreens72: Best Vitamin Profile
Highlights
- Promotes Gut Health
- Boosts Immunity
- 72 Ingredients
Pros
- Wide variety of nutrients
- 4 targeted blends
- Adaptogenic herbs
- Probiotics
Cons
- Proprietary blends
Why You Should Purchase PlantRise SuperGreens72
With 72 separate ingredients, PlantRise SuperGreens 72 has the second highest amount of compounds, second only to Athletic Greens. It contains blends that focus on vitamins, minerals, adaptogens, probiotics and greens. These are designed to support gut health, immune system functioning and improve digestion and neural functioning.
When it comes to taste, PlantRise Supergreens 72 isn’t horrible. It is not chalky like many greens powder and has a slight peppery aftertaste. But neither is it the tastiest that we’ve come across. It mixes well to make a consistent smoothie.
What We Didn’t Like About PlantRise SuperGreens72
The biggest concern with this product is that it contains proprietary blends. That means that they do not disclose the actual ingredients doses that make up each of their blends. So, we do not know if the ingredients are clinically dosed. That’s quite disappointing and may turn off some potential buyers.
5. ORAC-Energy Greens: Best Value for Money / Best for Antioxidants
Highlights
- Rich in antioxidants
- 42 ingredients
- Excellent value
Pros
- High in antioxidants
- Rich in adaptogens
- $1 per serve
- 42 ingredients
Cons
- Low in probiotics
Why You Should Purchase ORAC-Energy Greens
ORAC-Energy Greens put the emphasis on antioxidants. The ORCA in its name refers to the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity scale. This Is a measure of the total antioxidant capacity of a food. ORAC-Energy Greens has a score of 40,000ORAC per serving. That is more antioxidants that you will receive from 3 servings of blueberries!
The 42 ingredients in ORAC-Energy Greens are broken down into the following blends:
- Organic Alkalizing Green Juice Powders (1560 Mg)
- Organic Vegetables (830 Mg)
- Nature’s C With Qpower 812 Mg
- Organic Nutrim Oat Bran 500 Mg
- Super Beta-Glucan Mushrooms 250 Mg
- Prebiotic & Probiotic Blend 250 Mg
- Organic Berry Blend 125 Mg
- Organic Energy Blend 125 Mg
- Super Antioxidants 125 Mg
- Cleansing & Tonic Support 125 Mg
- Imperial Adaptogen Extracts 125 Mg
- GingerZyme 125 Mg
ORAC-Energy Greens has a rather bland neutral taste. However, if you don’t like the slightly peppery flavor, you can also take this product in capsule form.
What We Didn’t Like About ORAC-Energy Greens
ORAC-Energy Greens is an excellent antioxidant supplement. However, it is a little low in terms of probiotic content. As a result, it will not do much to support digestive health.
6. MacroLife Naturals Macro Greens Superfood: Best for Bacteria
Highlights
- 18 Billion CFUProbiotic bacteria
- 4 versions of digestive enzymes
- Tastes Great
Pros
- Very high in probiotics
- Digestive enzymes
- Cost effective
- Tasty
Cons
- Only one flavor
- Proprietary blend
Why You Should Purchase MacroLife Naturals Macro Greens Superfood
MacroLife Naturals Macro Greens Superfood is an organic, gluten free vegan green powder that combines 38 superfood ingredients. It is rich in antioxidants, natural plant enzymes, amino acids, vitamins and minerals.
MacroLife Naturals Macro Greens Superfood contains a massive 18 billion CFUs of probiotics sourced from five different strains. You also get well over 100 percent of the RDI for many vitamins and minerals. There is also an antioxidant blend in this product as well as a digestive blend to promote gut health.
MacroLife Naturals Macro Greens Superfood has been voted best tasting greens on the market. It delivers a rather rich creamy texture, though it is only available in a single flavor.
What We Didn’t Like About MacroLife Naturals Macro Greens Superfood
MacroLife Naturals Macro Greens Superfood may cause stomach upset due to the high number of probiotics. The antioxidant blend in this product is also presented on the label as a proprietary blend, which is less than ideal.
7. Organifi Green Juice: Best for Detox
Highlights
- 12 superfood ingredients
- Detoxes the body
- Nice tasting
- High in dietary fiber
Pros
- A dozen superfoods
- Detoxifying
- Great taste
- 4 grams fiber
Cons
- Expensive
Why You Should Purchase Organifi Green Juice
Organifi Green Juice provides you with a blend of a dozen superfood ingredients including wheatgrass, spirulina, lemongrass and matcha green tea. It’s rich in antioxidants and dietary fiber. The ingredient combination caters well to your antioxidant, phytochemical and detoxing needs.
Organifi Green Juice mixes well, producing a creamy, rich texture. It has a pleasant , non-chalky taste. This greens superfood also does an effective job of detoxing the body and helping to eliminate waste products.
What We Didn’t Like About Organifi Green Juice
Organifi Green Juice provides quite a limited ingredient profile. It is high in antioxidants but lacking somewhat when it comes to probiotics, vitamins and minerals.
8. Organixx OrganiGreens: Best Organic
Highlights
- USDA Certified Organic
- Probiotics
- Essential enzymes
Pros
- Organic
- High in Probiotics
- 3 grams of dietary fiber
- Digestive enzymes
Cons
- Doesn’t mix very well
- Bland taste
Why You Should Purchase Organixx OrganiGreens
Organixx OrganiGreens combines 14 sprouted and fermented green plants, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms and seeds. It delivers a powerful nutritional boost which is built around probiotics, antioxidants and essential enzymes.
This product boasts USDA Organic certification, so it is guaranteed to be free or artificial sweeteners, preservatives, chemicals and GMOs. It includes 3 grams of dietary fiber per serve along with a range of digestive enzymes. Both of these are good for gut health.
It should also be noted that Organixx OrganiGreens is produced using the juice drying rather than the pulp drying method. This delivers 6 times the ingredients in each ounce of powder.
What We Didn’t Like About Organixx OrganiGreens
The only real concerns I have with Organixx Organi Greens revolve around the taste and mixability, neither of which are that good. The taste is quite bland, with a slightly peppery aftertaste, while the powder doesn’t mix very well in water, producing a slightly clumpy mixture.
Buyer’s Guide for Best Greens Powders:
When you’re shopping for a green’s powder, there are four areas you should consider:
Micronutrient Content
Greens powders are marketed as being more than multivitamins. However, the focus on other ingredients shouldn’t compromise the basics. You should expect that the product will contain a complement of multivitamins and minerals.
Try our Macro Calculator.
Antioxidant Content
One of the biggest selling points of greens powders is that they are a rich source of antioxidants. However, few containers will actually quantify their antioxidant content. The best way to measure antioxidants is with the ORAC score. You can get an idea of how few manufacturers use it by the fact that only one product in our 8 best shows the ORAC score. That product is ORAC-Energy Greens. Not surprisingly, it’s also the best in our line-up for antioxidant content.
Probiotic / Enzyme Content
You should expect your greens powder to feed your gut bacteria,and boost your digestion. It does this through the inclusion of prebiotics, probiotics and enzymes. The best greens powders will include special blends for this category of benefit. You want a product that clearly indicates the dosage of its blends, too, rather than hiding them behind a proprietary blend.
Adaptogen Content
Adaptogens are herbal compounds that positively affect the way the body responds to stress. Two adaptogens to check for in your greens powder are Rhodiola Rosea and Ashwagandha.
Check also
- Best Low Calorie Protein Powders
- Best Pre-Workouts For Mixed Martial Arts Fighters
- Best Fat Burners for Women Ranked
- Best Fat Burners for Men in 2021
Wrap Up
Getting your greens is now easier, tastier and more convenient than ever. When it comes to variety of superfood ingredients, dosages, digestive, prebiotic and probiotic compounds, taste and mixability, the best greens powder on the 2021 market is Athletic Greens Ultimate Daily. It is the most expensive greens powder we researched, but if you want the best, you’ll be prepared to pay a little extra.
If you are after the ultimate in transparency of ingredients, you can’t go past Transparent Lab Prebiotic Greens. They also provide you with a high level of fiber per dose and a pretty good pierce at around $1.30 per day.
The best value for money Greens Powder is ORAC-Energy Greens, which will cost you around a dollar a day. That’s an excellent investment to get the green nutrition power you need to fortify your health and well-being.