Is Green Juice Good for You?
Those drinks and powders promise big benefits, but they don't always deliver
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The idea of drinking your vegetables is appealing to many. Maybe you don’t love the taste of veggies or you don’t want to spend the time prepping them. Or—and here’s the magic of marketing at work—you think that a green juice or smoothie is one of the healthiest things you can consume.
“The most important thing to understand about green drinks is that while in some cases they can help supplement an overall healthy diet, they’re not a replacement for whole foods,” says Whitney Linsenmeyer, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University in Missouri. Here’s what you need to know about the various green drink options out there.
Green Juice Benefits
A green juice can be a refreshing and sometimes low-calorie and low-sugar beverage. For example, Suja Uber Greens has 50 calories and only 5 grams of natural sugars in 12 ounces. Juices retain much of the vitamins and minerals in the leafy greens (or other veggies).
Green Smoothie Benefits
Unlike juices, smoothies are made with whole veggies, so they can be a good source of fiber as well as nutrients. But you’re best off making your own. (Try our Lean Green Dream smoothie recipe.) Commercially available smoothies may have lots of juice—and very few whole fruits or veggies. For instance, Smoothie King’s Veggie Lemon Ginger Spinach smoothie lists four types of fruit juices before you get to the spinach and kale. “The perception is you’re drinking healthy greens, but it’s mostly just green-tinted fruit juice,” Linsenmeyer says. Adding a protein to a smoothie, such as yogurt, milk, or nut butter, will make it more filling.
What About Green 'Superfood' Powders?
They’re supposed to boost energy, improve gut and brain health, and bolster your immune system. Most have a long list of ingredients that go way beyond veggies and fruit, such as seeds, algae, herbs, probiotics, and mushrooms. Pulverizing all of those ingredients into a powder means you’re getting a concentrated form of many nutrients, which isn’t always a good thing. Some supply 500 or even 1,000 percent of the daily value of certain vitamins and minerals, “levels that have the potential to cause toxicity and could also interact negatively with some medications,” Linsenmeyer says, such as blood thinners. “These drinks aren’t ’food,’ they’re supplements.” That means they’re not strictly regulated, and you should let your doctor know you’re taking them. Another downside: A month’s supply of green powder can cost $40 to almost $100.
Best Blenders for Making Smoothies
Below are some of the blenders that performed well in CR’s tests, receiving top marks for creating a smooth, consistent texture. See our blender ratings and buying guide for more information.
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the February 2024 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.
