Guide to Vegetable Supplements

We've all heard it before … "Eat your veggies!"

But if you're like most people, eating enough vegetables feels almost impossible. Maybe you're busy. Maybe you've got kids to feed. Maybe you're a picky eater, or you just don't like the taste of kale.

That's where vegetable supplements, also called greens powders, come in.

They're not a magic powder or a complete replacement for vegetables. They can, however, help you get more of the nutrients your body needs. All without spending the time chopping salad or cooking broccoli.

Here I'll break down what vegetable supplements are, who should take them, and how they help. I'll also cover what to look for in a good one.

In This Article:

• What Are Vegetable Supplements?
• Who Should Consider Taking a Vegetable Supplement?
• Key Benefits of Vegetable Supplements
• Do Vegetable Supplements Really Work?
• How to Choose the Best Vegetable Supplement
• Frequently Asked Questions about Vegetable Supplements / Greens Powders
• Don’t Replace Your Veggies … Support Them!

What Are Vegetable Supplements?

Vegetable supplements are made from blended fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other plants. Some are dried at high heat, but the best ones use low temperatures to protect nutrients.

After they're dried, they get ground into a fine powder. That powder is the vegetable supplement you find on the shelf.

The goal? It's there to help you get plant-specific nutrients that might otherwise not be in your diet. Especially if you're skipping out on veggies altogether.

A good vegetable supplement may have:

• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Probiotics
• Digestive enzymes
• Antioxidants
• Phytonutrients

They're not meant to replace your veggies. You still want to eat whole food, but they can support your health when life gets busy or your diet falls short.

Who Should Consider Taking a Vegetable Supplement?

Honestly … I believe that close to everybody should consider taking a vegetable supplement. Only about 10% of adults get enough veggies in their diet (1). If you fall into one of these groups, greens powders might be especially helpful:

1. You Don't Eat Enough Fruits and Vegetables

If you're not getting at least 4–6 diversified servings of fruits and veggies every day, you're not alone. Roughly 9 out of 10 Americans fall short. Vegetable supplements help you get more of those nutrients in a quick, easy way.

2. You Have Nutrient Deficiencies

Being low in important nutrients can leave you feeling tired, foggy, or even sick more often. Greens powders can help fill in the gaps. Just check with your doctor first if you have specific deficiencies.

3. You Have Fitness Goals

Whether you're trying to build muscle or lose fat, vegetable supplements can help support your goals. They can provide your body with nutrients that help your body thrive and function well. This includes energy production, nutrient absorption, and more.

That certainly won't hurt any fitness goals you have!

4. You Need Digestive Support

Greens powders often include probiotics and digestive enzymes. These may be able to help reduce bloating, gas, constipation, and indigestion (2, 3). These types of symptoms are more common nowadays, and vegetable supplements could help to ease them.

Key Benefits of Vegetable Supplements

1. Convenience

Let's face it, prepping veggies can be time-consuming. A lot of people skip out on veggies regularly for this reason. A scoop of greens powder in your shake takes 5 seconds. No prep work, no cooking, no excuses.

2. Supports Your Immune System

Around 70-80% of your immune system lives in your gut (4). By improving your gut health, you can help support your immune system so it stays strong. Many people report that using a high-quality vegetable supplement can do just that.

3. Can Help Optimize Your Nutrition

If you're always sluggish, bloated, or getting sick often, your diet may be missing something. A good vegetable supplement can help you get what's missing and get you back on track.

Do Vegetable Supplements Really Work?

Yes, they can do their job well as long as it's a quality greens powder. It's important to use them consistently, but don't rely on them to replace whole foods.

No supplement is supposed to totally replace quality whole foods!

Vegetable supplements can provide a boost of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. However, they're not perfect replacements for real fruits and veggies.

Whole food will almost always have more fiber and other nutrients. Think of vegetable supplements as a good safety net, not your main source of nutrition.

How to Choose the Best Vegetable Supplement

Not all greens powders are created equal. Some are packed with sugar, fillers, and only a few good ingredients. Here's what I recommend looking for:

Quality Ingredients

Choose vegetable supplements made from real fruits, vegetables, and organic grasses. I'd recommend avoiding ones with artificial colors or preservatives, too. Stick to greens powders with more naturally derived ingredients.

Reputable Brand

Stick with companies that are transparent, third-party tested, and ones you trust. Not every supplement company out there has as much integrity as others.

Digestive Support

Look for vegetable supplements with probiotics and digestive enzymes. These can help support your digestive system, which is great for your gut health.

When it comes to the probiotic, there are 2 things to look for:

• Number of healthy strains of bacteria
• Number of colony forming units (CFUs)

What determines a great probiotic isn't necessarily how many CFUs they have. It's great to have a lot, but it's WAY less important than the number of strains.

More healthy probiotic strains are really what determines the quality of the probiotic. So go for more strains over more CFUs.

Variety of Nutrients

The best greens powders include a wide range of natural ingredients. This includes different greens and grasses, as well as other fruits and veggies. Remember, each ingredient only contains certain nutrients.

More fruits and veggies come with more diverse nutrients to support your health. To give some perspective, there are over 10,000 different types of phytonutrients (5).

If your vegetable supplement only has a few ingredients, you're likely not getting as many benefits as you could be.

Frequently Asked Questions About Vegetable Supplements / Greens Powders

Q: What’s the Difference between a Vegetable Supplement and a Multivitamin?

A: Multivitamins give you isolated nutrients, mostly held to vitamins and minerals. Greens powders have some of those, but also have others you won't find in most multivitamins. Some examples are digestive enzymes, probiotics, antioxidants, and phytonutrients.

Q: Do I Need to Take Both a Multivitamin and a Vegetable Powder?

A: I won't put out a blanket statement and say everyone needs to take both. I will, however, say that you can certainly benefit from taking both. They don't have the exact same benefits, and can work synergistically together. Together, they can help you get a full spectrum of nutrients every day.

Q: Can I Take a Greens Supplement Every Day?

A: Yes! In fact, taking it daily gives you the best results. You can drink it whenever you want, too. Just make sure you stay consistent with it!

Q: Are Greens Supplements Safe?

A: High-quality greens powders are generally safe for healthy adults. If you're pregnant, nursing, or taking medication, talk to your doctor first. Otherwise, if it's from a trusted company, it should be safe to consume regularly.

Q: Do Vegetable Supplements Taste Bad?

A: That will really depend on which one you get. If they have all-natural ingredients, they will likely be a little earthy. That doesn't mean they'll taste bad, though. Some are actually pretty good! Plus, if you don't like them, you can always mix them with other things to make them taste better.

Q: When’s the Best Time to Take a Vegetable Supplement?

A: Any time of day works. To be honest, the timing doesn't matter nearly as much as just being consistent with it. For me, I like taking it with my biggest meal to help me digest it better. Find what works for you, and try to take it daily for the best results.

Q: What Are the Best Vegetable Supplements on the Market?

A: The best vegetable supplements have quality ingredients, multiple nutrient sources, probiotics, and digestive enzymes. Look for greens powders from reputable companies that use low-temperature processing to preserve nutrients. 1st Phorm's Opti-Greens 50 is an excellent example with over 50 hand-selected ingredients.

Q: How Do Vegetable Supplements Compare to Eating Actual Vegetables?

A: Vegetable supplements are convenient and help fill nutritional gaps, but they can't completely replace whole vegetables. Fresh veggies have more fiber and some nutrients that processing can reduce. Think of greens powders as a supplement to, not a replacement for, eating real vegetables.

Don't Replace Your Veggies… Support Them!

Vegetable supplements aren't here to replace a healthy diet. They're here to support it and your goals.

If you're falling short on your veggies, a quality greens powder like Opti-Greens 50 can help to cover your bases. That's the one I personally use, and it's a supplement I truly feel a difference with.

For a completely different variety of fruits and veggies, you can also check out Opti-Reds 50. I mix the two together, and it makes one heck of a healthy cocktail!

Between the two, there's almost 20,000 5-star reviews. Check them out for yourself, and see what other people are saying about them.

To summarize … Yes, please keep eating your veggies. But if you want an easy way to feel better, support digestion, and strengthen your immune system, vegetable supplements could be exactly what your diet's missing.

If you have any questions about vegetable supplements or greens powders in the meantime, don't hesitate to reach out. We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri.

Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com. We're available Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 8 PM Central and Saturday & Sunday from 9 AM to 7 PM Central.

We'll be more than happy to help in any way we can!

References:

(1) Lee SH, et al. Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations — United States, 2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022;71:1-9.

(2) Hungin APS, et al. Systematic review: probiotics in the management of lower gastrointestinal symptoms - an updated evidence-based international consensus. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2018;47(8):1054-1070.

(3) Ianiro G, et al. Digestive Enzyme Supplementation in Gastrointestinal Diseases. Curr Drug Metab. 2016;17(2):187-93.

(4) Wiertsema SP, et al. The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies. Nutrients. 2021;13(3):886.

(5) Park K. The Role of Dietary Phytochemicals: Evidence from Epidemiological Studies. Nutrients. 2023;15(6):1371.

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