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Consuming all your fruits and vegetables is a key part of any diet, but just 12% of U.S. adults receive the daily amount they need, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [1]Lee SH, Moore LV, Park S, Harris DM, Blanck HM. Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations — United States, 2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022;71:1–9. .

While it’s important to focus on fresh produce for nutrients and minerals, greens powders can help increase your intake.

To determine the best picks for greens powders , Forbes Health consulted  a panel of experts to make their top product picks and explain their reasoning behind which they like best. Star ratings, between one and five, were determined solely by the editorial team based on factors like cost and user rating.

Here’s what greens powders consist of, how they can supplement your diet and our experts’ top five recommendations.

This greens powder from Garden of Life is made with 40 nutrient-dense greens, sprouts and vegetable juices. “Additionally, it has added prebiotics and probiotics which help support digestion and immunity,” says Mia Syn, a licensed registered dietitian nutritionist and member of the Forbes Health Advisory Board.

The fact that it’s NSF third-party certified and free of tainted substances is also “a big plus for athletes,” adds Taylor Wallace, Ph.D., CEO of the Think Healthy Group and a Forbes Health Advisory Board member.

“I really like the diversity of probiotics that are well-studied here,” Wallace notes. “My opinion is the more diverse the gut microbiome, the better regarding health outcomes.”

He also appreciates the brand’s “good set of enzymes” and flavan-3-ols, which are a group of naturally occurring plant compounds from various sources that aid in promoting heart health[2]Pandey KB, Rizvi SI. Plant polyphenols as dietary antioxidants in human health and disease. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2009;2(5):270-278. .

Nested Naturals Super Greens “has a tad more fiber and higher amounts of iodine, which is important for thyroid function,” Wallace says, noting that most people don’t get enough iodine. He also likes the powder for its good antioxidant blend, digestive enzymes and beneficial probiotic strains.

Syn chose this product for its mix of 20 USDA-certified organic veggies, grasses, herbs, algae and superfoods, including spinach, kale, broccoli and wheat grass. The powder is also free of added sugar and is instead naturally sweetened with organic fruit.

“One scoop delivers 75 vitamins, minerals, whole-food sourced superfoods, probiotics and adaptogens that help support gut health, immunity, energy, focus and more,” Syn says about the AG1 powder.

Dietary supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ingredients and amounts may vary. Be sure to talk to your doctor before taking any supplement.

Our Best Greens Powder Of 2022 ranking is determined by a Forbes Health panel of experts. They provided their product recommendations, along with reasons they stand out.

For the Best Greens Powders of 2022, Forbes Health asked our panel of experts to provide their top picks and rationale. Star rankings range from one to five and are determined by our editorial team based on consumer-facing factors like cost and user satisfaction.

Greens powder is a dietary supplement that typically contains a combination of vegetables, fruits, algaes or grasses that have been processed and distilled into a powdered form. Some may also include probiotics, or live microorganisms that can help digest food, destroy disease-causing cells or act as a sugar substitute to add sweetness to a drink.

Before buying a greens powder, you first want to make sure its ingredients have been tested and are safe to consume, says Ryan Andrews, a registered dietitian at Precision Nutrition in Toronto, Canada.

He recommends investigating the “sourcing of the raw ingredients.” That is, the greens, grasses, fruits and vegetables the powder lists on its ingredients label. “Some farming practices use high amounts of chemical inputs to grow crops and this can lead to problems for both personal and planetary health,” he says. “Ingredients grown organically or regeneratively may be a better choice.”

It often helps to check out the company’s website for more information about how and where it gets its ingredients from. If a company does not have any information, that could be a red flag. It’s also “important to ensure that the company offers third-party quality control testing,” Andrews adds. Third-party testing is when another non-affiliated company evaluates a product.

Alyssa Pike, a registered dietitian at the International Food Information Council in Washington, recommends checking for NSF International, U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) or Informed-Choice testing and certification, as these organizations can verify the validity of the product.

ConsumerLab.com is another resource that can help you find out more about a company and its products, although this site requires a paid membership.

Generally, greens powders can provide another source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. For example, dark green leafy greens, such as kale and spinach, commonly found in greens powders are rich in vitamins A, C, E and K, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

However, some dietitians are iffy on recommending greens powders.

“For a generally healthy person, you could add greens powders to your diet to increase your vegetable intake,” says Pike. “But you’re better off prioritizing whole fruits, vegetables and other nutrient-dense foods.”

Greens powders are meant to be consumed with water or another liquid, and can even be added to smoothies. The typical guidance, including from our top picks above, is to mix one scoop of powder in with 8 ounces of water or smoothie.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not approve dietary supplements before they are sold, so it’s tough to say that greens powders are safe across the board. This is why looking into a company’s sourcing and testing is crucial to finding a safe product.

Andrews warns that dietary supplements are “prone to labeling inaccuracies and contamination with heavy metals, pesticides or harmful bacteria[3]Glassman NR. ConsumerLab.com. J Med Libr Assoc. 2004;92(4):509-510. .”

Pay attention to a product’s serving size, adds Pike, “to ensure you don’t go overboard” with the vitamins in the powder. “Generally, water-soluble vitamins, like C and B, will be excreted in the urine if we consume more than we need, but fat-soluble vitamins, like A, D, E and K, can build up to toxic levels if we consume too much,” she says.

Both experts recommend speaking with your doctor before adding greens powder to your diet. That’s especially true if you are on medication, as the powder can interact with certain drugs, or if you are prone to kidney stones, which can be exacerbated by the compounds in the powder.

Information provided on Forbes Health is for educational purposes only. Your health and wellness is unique to you, and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment plans. For personal advice, please consult with a medical professional.

Forbes Health adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved or otherwise endorsed by our advertisers.

Lauren Silva, a freelance writer in New York City, believes in feeling good in your body and making that experience accessible to everyone across generations. The proof is in her ever-piling browser tabs and newsletters, which help her stay on top of the latest wellness trends. When she’s not researching sustainable alternatives to her everyday products, Lauren is likely attempting to make a dent in her “TBR” book pile.

Shawn is a dedicated news person who's produced content for print and online. He's worked in reporting, writing and editing roles across newsrooms like CNBC and Fox Digital, but he kicked off his career reporting on health for Healio.com. When Shawn isn't doing the news, he's probably deleting app notifications from his phone.