Is a greens powder worth it, or should you just eat your spinach?

Eat the spinach first. A greens powder is worth buying only as an extra beside your vegetables: the NHS (UK) counts 80 g of fresh, canned or frozen vegetables as one portion of 5 A Day, and its list of what counts does not mention powders at all.

Where a scoop can earn its place is on the days the plate falls short, and December is full of them: long festive drives, holiday breakfasts, meals at other people's tables. Below: what you are paying for in the tub, which form you will actually use, and when the right answer is to buy nothing.

Does a scoop of greens count as a portion of vegetables?

Not on the NHS list. The NHS (UK) page on what counts says 80 g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables is one portion, and so is 30 g of dried fruit. On the same page, beans and pulses count only once a day however much you eat, and juice and smoothies are limited to 150 ml a day combined. Powders and supplements are not on it.

The reason matters more than the rule. The NHS (UK) says fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C and potassium, and an excellent source of dietary fibre. It also says different fruits and vegetables carry different combinations of nutrients, which is why it asks for variety.

So the first greens upgrade is on the plate: a handful of morogo or spinach beside the pap, butternut on the side, frozen peas stirred into the mince. Canned vegetables count too, on the same NHS page, which makes a tin in the cupboard a fair backstop for the end of a long month.

So when is a greens powder worth buying?

When it is an extra, not a swap. A powder fits the reader who already eats vegetables on most days and wants a measured scoop of dried greens for the days that go sideways: the festive road trip, a week of hotel breakfasts, a shift that swallows lunch. It also fits a smoothie habit.

It is not worth it as a way to skip the vegetables, or because a slogan on the front promises something big. Buy the ingredient list, not the front of the tub.

What are you actually paying for in the tub?

Grasses, algae and plants, in very different mixes. Green Power Powder lists wheat, barley and alfalfa grasses, chlorella, spirulina and sea vegetables, and says it is free of fillers, binders, maltodextrin, colourants, flavourants and preservatives. Active Greens+ goes much further: 50 superfoods plus a multivitamin and multimineral, adaptogens, prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes and functional mushrooms.

Neither wins on its own. A short list tells you exactly what is in the glass; a long one packs more in, and every extra is one more thing to check against what you already take.

Before you buy any of them, turn the tub round and check:

• Every ingredient named. A "proprietary blend" that hides the amount of each ingredient tells you less than a label that lists them.
• The serving size. How many grams make a serving, and how many servings are in the tub.
• How the maker checks it. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health warns that what is on a supplement label may not be what is in the product, and that words such as "verified" or "certified" do not necessarily guarantee quality. If the label does not say how the product is tested, ask us to look into it.
• The extras. Added vitamins, minerals, herbs, mushrooms or probiotics: read Before you use it.

Tub, sachet or capsule: which will you actually use?

The one you will open every day. A tub such as Super Greens Concentrate suits a morning smoothie at home: its description puts 50 superfoods with probiotics and prebiotics in one scoop, to add to a smoothie, shake with water or stir into juice. Active Greens+ comes as 30 single-serve 14 g sachets to a box, described for travel or keeping at your desk, so there is nothing to measure on the road.

If you would rather swallow than sip, Moringa Initiative Moringa is one plant only: 100% Moringa oleifera leaf powder in 120 veg capsules. That makes it a single leaf, not a blend, so compare it with a blend on what each label contains rather than on the word "greens".

Greens forms compared

Form	Suits	Check on the label
Blend in a tub	A smoothie or shaker at home	Grams per serving and servings per tub
Single-serve sachets	Travel, the office, no measuring	The serving is already portioned
Capsules	Anyone who would rather swallow than drink	How many capsules make one serving
Single plant, such as moringa	A one-ingredient label	That it is one plant, not a blend

Not for you if…

When is a greens powder not for you?

If you already eat a good spread of vegetables and fruit every day, a powder is a cost you can skip. The NHS (UK) says most people should get all the nutrients they need from a varied and balanced diet, so spend the money on vegetables and buy nothing here.

Skip it, too, if you want it to stand in for meals. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, buying for a child, take prescription medicine, have surgery coming up or are under a doctor's care, ask one of our consultants or your doctor first; Before you use it has the full note.

Still unsure? Ask us at Centurion, Glen Village or Edenvale, or on WhatsApp at 076 913 5059, and browse the superfoods shelf or our best-selling supplements. Delivery is free over R400. You can also collect free in store.

Questions we get asked

Can I take a greens powder every day?

Yes, if you take the serving on the label and nothing in Before you use it applies to you. Super Greens Concentrate, for one, is described as a single daily scoop.

When is the best time to take greens powder?

The label sets the serving, not the clock. Take it at a time you will remember, such as with breakfast.

Will I feel a difference?

A greens powder adds dried plants to your day; it is not something to feel. Take it as the label says, and ask one of our consultants if you are unsure whether it suits you.

Is moringa the same as a greens powder?

Not quite. Moringa Initiative Moringa is one plant, 100% Moringa oleifera leaf powder in capsules, while a blend such as Green Power mixes cereal grasses, algae and sea vegetables. Moringa is a herb, so the Before you use it note applies to it too.

Where these facts come from

• 5 A Day: what counts?
• Why 5 A Day?
• Vitamins and minerals
• Vitamin K: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
• Using Dietary Supplements Wisely

— the One Life Health consultants