Many of us struggle to eat enough vegetables in our hectic daily lives, despite knowing how important they are for ourselves and our families health!
Vegetables form a key part of a healthy diet for almost everybody and a high-quality greens powder can be a great way to supplement many of the vitamins and minerals you might be missing out of if you arenât quite hitting your required veggie intake!
So, the question is - how many servings of vegetables are in a typical greens powder? And can it replace your veggies?
Letâs find out!
CONTENTS:
- Can Green Powder Replace Vegetables?
- How Many Servings Of Vegetables Are In Green Powder?
- Is Drinking Greens The Same As Eating Them?
- Does Greens Powder Help With Gut Health?
- The Bottom Line
Can Green Powder Replace Vegetables?
The idea that green powders can REPLACE vegetables in your diet is a misconception.
The main purpose of green powder is to bridge a nutritional gap, but theyâre not intended to replace vegetables completely.
A good greens powder can help you hit your daily nutritional intake goals, but it shouldnât be used as a replacement for the real thing.
A greens powder lacks two things that fresh vegetables offer: high-levels of dietary fibre and water content.
When we eat fresh vegetables, the water content and dietary fibre work together to give us that âsatiety factorâ - in other words, we feel fuller for longer.
So, while youâll still be getting many of the nutrients you would get from fresh vegetables in a greens powder, you may still be left feeling hungry.
You should also stick to the recommended dosage of your specific greens powder as they can have some side effects if you take too much. Some vitamin in greens powders such as vitamin A can be relatively easy to consume too much of (known as Hypervitaminosis A).
Symptoms can include liver damage, increased pressure in the brain, bone pain, vision changes, and skin changes. Itâs hard to overdose on fresh veggies, but itâs easy to overdose on green powder.
Always follow the manufacturer's advice carefully, and consult a physician if youâre unsure how much you should be taking.
Again, these effects are very rare and require you to take excessive doses, but itâs good to be aware of.
How Many Servings Of Vegetables Are In Green Powder?
The number of servings of vegetables in your green powder will vary by brand, so thereâs no exact figure we can give you.
Some suggest that just one tablespoon of greens powder can contain as many as 30 different fruits, vegetables, and superfoods - however, these are always in varying quantities and concentrations.
To find out exactly how many servings of vegetables are in your greens powder, compare its specific nutritional values to that of a recommended intake from vegetables to get a more accurate answer.
Is Drinking Greens The Same As Eating Them?
To answer plainly - no. Drinking your greens is not the same as eating them.
Vegetables are complex. When we chew our vegetables, we unleash a whole host of nutrients that are unveiled when we chew through the outer wall.
Each layer of the vegetable releases new nutrients, such as vitamins, proteins, and flavonoids. When we blend our vegetables or condense them into powders, weâre mechanically replicating this process.
Thereâs limited evidence to suggest that consuming vegetables in this way is bad for us, and actually, it can be incredibly beneficial for people living fast-paced lifestyles, or those who are unable to chew but still need nutrients from their food.
Unfortunately, drinking your greens is still not the same as eating them, and youâll be missing out on a significant amount of fibre.
Green powders are generally low in fibre; in fact, many brands only offer 1-2 grams of fibre per serving.
Fibre can help lower cholesterol levels, normalise bowel movements, control blood sugar levels and keep our weight in check, so if you want to reach your daily fibre goals, you should always be opting for the real thing.
Greens powders may also contain more contaminants than fresh vegetables. For example, one study found that in four of the thirteen products tested, contaminants were present.
Many powdered greens donât fall into the âdietary supplementâ category meaning they arenât regulated by the FDA or any other regulatory body, so thereâs no way to be completely sure what ingredients youâre getting in your product.
If you want to try green powder, always look for brands that use high-quality ingredients, are transparent with their sourcing and offer you the testing results from a 3rd party.
Does Greens Powder Help With Gut Health?
Most greens powders contain a range of prebiotics and probiotics which may support our immune function and digestive health. Many probiotics can help restore the natural balance of bacteria in the gut.
Most greens powders also contain digestive enzymes such as cellulase, lipase, papain, protease, and amylase.
Digestive enzymes help us break down the food we eat, and having enough digestive enzymes in our diet may increase our energy levels, reduce the symptoms of IBS, prevent leakages from the gut, and more.
Digestive enzymes also help us absorb the nutrients we require from our food, contributing to improved digestion, health, and wellbeing.
While thereâs no doubt that digestive enzymes are essential (and beneficial), itâs unclear how effective the digestive enzymes added to green powders are for our health.
Digestive enzymes are produced and secreted naturally in the salivary glands, the cells lining the pancreas, stomach, and small intestine.
If you donât have a deficiency, you should be producing enough of the enzymes you need to stay healthy.
However, if youâre not producing enough digestive enzymes, it may be worth taking a supplement like a greens powder to help. Always consult a physician first before taking a new supplement.
The Bottom Line
Greens powders arenât the same as real vegetables.
Although youâll still get many of the nutrients you need, they are not a replacement for veggies -but rather a very handy and healthy addition to a good diet.
We recommend taking a high-quality green powder alongside a healthy, balanced diet to ensure youâre getting the most nutrients possible from your food.