"If you’ve spent any amount of time on TikTok, you’ve probably noticed that every single “spend the day with me” style vlog starts with a girlie effortlessly rolling out of bed in her matching pajamas, heading to an *aesthetic* and spotless kitchen, and immediately grabbing her greens to drink with nugget ice and one of those clear glass straws—before her coffee, of course. All of a sudden, green powders became as much of a daily non-negotiable as brushing your teeth.
This 24-ounce Stanley is the take-anywhere hydration essential that’ll make an everyday appearance.
I’ll admit that I, for one, have not yet implemented green powders into my routine (gasp!), but it’s not for lack of interest in the benefits they could have on my overall health and wellbeing—it’s simply because there are so many on the market now that the overwhelm and decision fatigue from trying to choose one is real.
After chatting with our Wellness Editor and a registered dietitian nutritionist, I learned all about the factors that should be taken into account when choosing green powders and why the heck we should care about implementing them in the first place, so I could properly do a deep dive of some of the most raved about options on the market. Now, I’m rating them from greatest of all time to just so-so, as it pertains to the variety of nutrients, sourcing, ingredients, and what people have to say about them as a whole.
Why Take a Greens Powder? Is It Necessary?
While we fully believe that the first place you should be getting your nutrients is from your diet, it’s not always possible to get all of the essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants you need in a day from your food alone. “Green powders can help fill gaps by covering your bases, as well as by offering a convenient, nutrient-rich drink if you’re on the go,” explained Tanya Mezher MS, RDN, CDN, Founding Functional Practitioner at Malla. With that said, green powders aren’t at all necessary, but they can be extremely beneficial (especially if your diet consists of a lot of processed foods and sugars) to help you get the nutrients that your body needs.
But be aware that they aren’t all created equal. “Quality and sourcing matter a lot, as many greens powders contain artificial flavors and fillers,” says Mezher. When choosing a greens powder, Mezher recommends looking for organic and non-GMO ingredients, a variety of greens, no artificial sweeteners, fillers, or flavors, and third-party testing and verification. If you are considering incorporating a green powder into your diet to help you fill some nutrient gaps, make sure you choose one that checks most if not all of these boxes.
9 Popular Green Powders Ranked From Best to Worst
Athletic Greens
Dare I say that Athletic Greens single-handedly popularized green powders? I mean, Kris Jenner works hard, but the Athletic Greens marketing team works harder. I haven’t been able to escape Instagram, TikTok, and podcast ads for AG1 for years—and it’s not just me, I know plenty of people who were influenced by AG1 and are now forever fans.
But it takes more than a big marketing budget to keep a product at the top of this list. After all, it’s the nutrients, ingredients, and overall experience that we are interested in. Athletic Greens is adamant about being much more than a greens powder—AG1 contains 75 high-quality vitamins, minerals, and whole-food sourced nutrients in a single scoop which works to fill nutrient gaps. And what’s more, they have some of the highest standards to deliver the highest quality product that is 100% traceable, tested, and verified. You can’t argue with the science here. The only downfalls? It’s pricey as hell, has natural flavors, and not everyone *loves* the taste, but if you can afford to add it, you’ll be glad you did.
- Variety of nutrients: 10/10
- Sourcing: 10/10
- Ingredients: 10/10
- Experience: 7/10
- Total: 37/40
Live it Up (formerly Enso Superfoods)
The ingredient label on Supergreens is astounding. It’s lengthy, which can be overwhelming at first glance, but fear not, it’s filled with all good things like carefully chosen, locally sourced, and organic vegetables, 5 billion probiotics, digestive enzymes, vitamins and minerals, and plant-based protein. And get this: there is no sign of added sugars or fillers. The only reason I’m ranking this second to Athletic Greens is that while Live it Up does have a hell of a lot of nutrients, AG1 has more variety. For example, AG1 offers a nutrient-dense extract, herb, and antioxidant blend as well as a mushroom complex and Live it Up does not. The ingredients that are in this green powder are third-party tested to ensure the high-quality ingredients that your body needs to thrive, so they are still effective as hell.
Their reviews are raving, saying that it mixes well with water, tastes delicious (which is shocking because these ingredients look very green-tasing if you know what I mean), and is comparable as far as ingredients go to more expensive green powders (like AG1) but at a better price.
- Variety of nutrients: 8/10
- Sourcing: 10/10
- Ingredients: 10/10
- Experience: 9/10
- Total: 37/40
Amazing Grass
This green powder combines alkalizing farm fresh greens and wholesome fruits and veggies with nutrient-rich superfoods, and after reviewing their ingredient list, I’m pretty impressed by it. Amazing Grass is transparent about the ingredients in each blend that make up this powder (green food blend, antioxidant blend, fiber blend, and pre and probiotic blend), and on top of that, there aren’t any weird additives like sweeteners, thickeners, or coloring. While the variety of ingredients isn’t as expansive as the previous two options on this list, it still packs a punch. I do wish the entire powder was certified organic, but I’m still pretty happy to see so many organic ingredients.
There are tons of raving reviews for this product, and the majority of them note how glad they are that this green powder comes in so many different sizes and varieties. For example, you can get the powder in 30, 60, or 100 servings, or you can get it in packets and even in capsule form—making it easy for anyone, no matter their preference, to get in their greens.
- Variety of nutrients: 9/10
- Sourcing: 8/10
- Ingredients: 9/10
- Experience: 10/10
- Total: 36/40
Sakara
This certified organic blend of plant protein and greens supports lean muscle, satiation, and detoxification all while being gluten, dairy, and refined sugar-free. Giving it its sweetness is added organic coconut sugar and stevia (natural sources rather than artificial additives), and count on this powder for 17 grams of plant-based protein (organic pea protein, organic hemp protein, organic pumpkin protein) and super greens blend (organic spirulina, organic wheatgrass, organic barley grass, organic chlorella), so this powder seems to be a great option. However, compared to the first three options on this list, you’re getting less variety. The greens it contains only scratch the surface compared to the variety of greens you are getting in other powders like AG1, Live it Up, and Amazing Grass.
It has a hint of vanilla flavor, so Sakara recommends blending one serving into a smoothie or baking it into recipes with fruits, greens, and nut butter (don’t mind if I do!), although some reviewers say that if you don’t like the flavor, it’s very hard to hide in a tasty treat.
- Variety of nutrients: 7/10
- Sourcing: 10/10
- Ingredients: 9/10
- Experience: 7/10
- Total: 33/40
Ancient Nutrition
25+ superfoods, including cleansing greens, antioxidant-filled fruits, mushrooms, herbs, and probiotics make up this completely certified organic, third-party tested green powder. Its ingredients were carefully selected to help you digest, detox, and stay energized, which sounds fantastic, but TBH, I can’t get past the reviews.
There are hundreds of reviews that state that everything from the smell to the texture to the taste is “intolerable,” and that’s enough to turn my nose up and look to different green powders. I wish this wasn’t the case because their variety of nutrients and dedication to their ingredients is admirable, but if you can’t get past the taste, this just becomes a waste of money and something that gets dusty in your cabinet instead of providing you with the benefits it was intended for. However, if you are one of the lucky ones and can tolerate drinks that taste like literal grass, you’ll be reaping some pretty good benefits with this green powder.
- Variety of nutrients: 9/10
- Sourcing: 10/10
- Ingredients: 10/10
- Experience: 2/10
- Total: 31/40
Bloom
Made with 30+ ingredients, including fruits and vegetables, probiotics, antioxidants, and more, this green powder claims to “relieve uncomfortable bloat, support gut health, and promote energy,” which honestly sounds pretty great, so let’s break it down. There are a lot of ingredients in this bad boy that its borderline overwhelming, but fear not, they all look pretty clean. There is a fiber, green superfood, pre and probiotic, fruit and vegetable, antioxidant beauty, digestive enzymes, and adaptogenic blend all in one jug, so it’s starting to make sense why I can’t stop seeing this green powder everywhere I look. The only downfall? They sneak in “natural flavors” and stevia. “Natural flavors” sounds good and they may be from plant sources, but the regulations do not restrict dozens of other ingredients like preservatives that can go into the name “natural flavors.” “There does not seem to be much of a difference between natural and artificial flavors,” David Andrews, a scientist at the Environmental Working Group, told to The New York Times.
As for the taste, it seems you either love it or despise it—there is no in-between. Our Brand Partnerships Manager, Ashley, stands by the taste and texture of this green powder—especially with some lemon mixed in. If you’re looking for a powder that packs a lot of benefits into one scoop and offers a variety of flavors, Bloom is a trusty option.
- Variety of nutrients: 10/10
- Sourcing: 9/10
- Ingredients:6/10
- Experience: 6/10
- Total: 31/40
8Greens
This greens tablet is made up of–you guessed it–eight different greens including spinach, kale, aloe vera, wheatgrass, blue-green algae, barley grass, chlorella, and spirulina. In addition to these all-star greens, each tablet provides essential nutrients for energy and immune support due to its high amount of vitamin C and minerals like zinc.
8Greens is one of our wellness editor’s travel must-haves due to its convenience, immunity-boosting benefits, and taste, however, the taste and texture of these fizzy tablets don’t come without the help of sneaky ingredients like sorbitol, natural flavors, corn starch, safflower oil, maltodextrin, stevia leaf extract, and coloring… which we obviously don’t love. So while these are great if you’re in a pinch or on the go, they aren’t our top choice for getting our greens in on the daily.
- Variety of nutrients: 8/10
- Sourcing: 8/10
- Ingredients: 4/10
- Experience: 10/10
- Total: 30/40
Better Days Co
Each serving of BetterGreens contains a greens blend, enzyme blend, and fruit blend as well as apple cider vinegar and an optional 120mg of caffeine, making it a go-to choice for girlies who like to get an early morning workout in and need a little boost or a yummy tasting mid-day pick-me-up. As far as additives go, expect to see natural flavor (which they do claim is derived from actual fruit powders), soluble fiber, and stevia on the label.
I see this one often, specifically in the peach limeade flavor, all over my FYP page, and I know a few people personally who are loyal to this brand. I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum, but there is little to no concrete information on their website as far as sourcing, label transparency, and quality, besides a few details on their FAQ page, so they get a low score for lack of visibility. I’m hoping that changes in time because these flavors do sound 10/1o and I want to know more about them!
- Variety of nutrients: 6/10
- Sourcing: 3/10
- Ingredients: 7/10
- Experience: 8/10
- Total: 24/40
HUM Nutrition
A blend of 30+ superfoods including antioxidants, adaptogens, and probiotics make up this green powder that claims to help boost energy and metabolism and support healthy skin. According to HUM, it contains verified clean ingredients, has clinically tested actives, and has been triple-tested and third-party validated for purity and quality, which we love to see.
It’s worth noting that HUM is transparent about what is included in this powder by outlining each ingredient that makes up the green superfood blend, fiber blend, antioxidant beauty blend, and more; but along with some of the clean ingredients lie some not-so-ideal ingredients like natural flavors, xanthan gum, palm sugar, and stevia. Again, nothing toxic to completely avoid altogether, but IMO there are better options.
As far as taste goes, reviews are mixed. Some say that they absolutely love and crave this powder while others complain that the taste is way more green than mint chocolate chip. Another big complaint is that the powder doesn’t mix very well and leaves behind chunks and a green film on top of the drink, so if you can’t get down with that, I wouldn’t add it to your cart.
- Variety of nutrients: 8/10
- Sourcing: 7/10
- Ingredients: 5/10
- Experience: 4/10
- Total: 24/40
