Getting all your micronutrients can be a challenge on the ketogenic diet. Most Americans get their vitamins and minerals from grains and starchy vegetables. After eliminating these foods from your diet, leafy and other non-starchy vegetables are the richest sources of micronutrients on a ketogenic diet.
However, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can be a challenge. They require more time to prepare and may cost more than processed foods in some areas.
This is where a greens powder comes in. A greens powder is designed to help get some of your fruit and vegetable servings without the added hassle of buying, preparing, and cooking. It’s just as healthy but more convenient.
What is a Greens Powder?
A greens powder is a combination of dried fruits and vegetables designed to help you avoid micronutrient deficiencies and reach your health goals.
Some greens powders might contain other ingredients like enzymes, collagen, adaptogens, and probiotics to boost their nutritional value.
To make a greens powder, whole food is dried, combined with other ingredients, and packaged.
You can use greens powders in juice, smoothies, or simply mixed with water. High-quality greens powders are made with methods that ensure minimal nutrient loss and provide maximum nutritional value.
Health Benefits of Greens Powders
Due to the high nutrient content of greens powders, they’re able to offer you a variety of health benefits.
Some of the health benefits you can expect from using greens powders include:
- Blood pressure control. Greens powders are rich in heart-healthy nutrients like potassium that can help you maintain healthy blood pressure. A 90-day study on forty people found that consuming a greens powder lowered blood pressure by an average of 12mmHg[*].
- Anti-aging. The antioxidants present in greens powder protect the body from damage by inflammatory substances which would accelerate aging[*].
- The antioxidant action of greens powder can also lower your risk of getting chronic diseases associated with oxidative damage like type 2 diabetes and dementia.
- Immune system. Greens powders contain many immune-boosting nutrients particularly vitamin A and vitamin C. A study on 47 subjects found that those who took a fruit and vegetable powder suffered less from illnesses than those who didn’t[*].
Athletic Greens Overview
Athletic Greens is a brand of greens powder from a supplement company of the same name.
The company, founded over a decade ago, states that its mission is to bring comprehensive and convenient daily nutrition to just about everybody.
Athletic Greens is manufactured in New Zealand in a TGA-registered facility. TGA, Therapeutic Goods Authority is the Australian regulatory body for supplements and other health products.
The greens are paleo, gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, and contain no added sugar. You can either purchase the greens in a 12-serving pouch or a box with individual travel-size packs.
Perfect Keto Micros Greens Powder
Perfect Keto Greens is a greens supplement by Perfect Keto. The product was made to help keto dieters reach their daily micronutrient targets.
The powder contains 26 fruits and vegetables to ensure a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Athletic Greens Vs Perfect Keto Greens Powder
Nutrition
Both Athletic Greens and Perfect Keto Greens are rich in a variety of micronutrients.
Since the products are made using fruits and vegetables, you’d expect them to have high amounts of vitamins and minerals. Both products live up to this expectation.
Athletic Greens Nutrition
Calories
Each serving of Athletic Greens has 50 calories. Most of the calories come from carbohydrates and the small amounts of protein present.
Athletic Greens, like most greens powders, aren’t rich in any of the three macronutrients namely carbs, protein, and fat.
Carbs
Athletic Greens contain 6 g of total carbohydrates, with 2 g being dietary fiber. That means each serving of Athletic Greens contains 4 g of net carbs.
The greens contain less than a gram of sugar per serving.
Vitamins
Athletic Greens have incredibly high amounts of vitamins. In fact, the product contains more than 100% of your daily needs of the majority of the vitamins.
It contains 467% of your vitamin C needs, 553% of your vitamin E needs, and 250% of your thiamin (vitamin B1) needs.
Assuming you eat a fairly balanced diet, you’ll eat even more of these nutrients.
Your body is capable of flushing out reasonable amounts of excess water-soluble vitamins (B and C). However, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are stored in the body and can accumulate to dangerous levels.
A serving of Athletic Greens has 62% of your vitamin A recommendation but doesn’t state the amount of vitamin K and D present.
However, the vitamin E content is very high and can cause vitamin E toxicity.
Minerals
Athletic Greens are also rich in a variety of minerals. Unlike the vitamins, the minerals are present in reasonable amounts with only zinc providing more than your daily needs (136%).
Some of the other minerals present are iron, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and chromium.
Perfect Keto Greens Nutrition
Calories
Perfect Keto also contains 50 calories per serving. The calories are mostly from fat which is in the form of MCTs or Medium-Chain Triglycerides.
Carbs
Perfect Keto Greens contain 4 g of total carbs, of which 1 g is dietary fiber. That leaves 3 g of net carbs per serving making it very suitable for a low-carb diet.
Fats
Perfect Keto Greens contain a small amount of fats in the form of MCTs. MCTs are a special type of saturated fats that are easily metabolized by the body for energy.
MCTs have other benefits like boosting ketone levels and can also help improve focus and mental clarity.
Typical of any type of greens, Perfect Keto Greens contain a very small amount of protein.
Vitamins
Perfect Keto Greens powder contains a variety of vitamins including vitamin A, B, C, D, E, and K.
The vitamins are present in reasonable amounts to fill the gaps in your diet rather than replace it. The powder provides 25 to 50% of most of the vitamins.
Minerals
Similar to the vitamins, Perfect Keto Greens Powder contains a wide variety of minerals. The minerals present include magnesium, iron, chromium, magnesium, and iodine.
Ingredients
Athletic Greens Ingredients
Athletic Greens has a long ingredient list that can be classified into six categories: Superfood Complex, Dairy-Free Probiotics, Plant Extracts and Antioxidants, and an Enzyme and Mushroom Complex.
Superfood Complex
This is a combination of extracts from a variety of nutritious foods. The components of the complex are: Organic spirulina, lecithin (65% phosphatides), organic apple powder, inulin (FOS prebiotics), organic wheatgrass juice powder (leaf), organic alfalfa powder (leaf), organic chlorella powder, organic barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaf powder, acerola fruit juice powder extract (4:1), broccoli flower powder, papaya (Carica papaya) fruit powder, pineapple fruit concentrate (9:1), bilberry fruit extract (100:1), beetroot powder, rosehip (Rosa canina) fruit powder (4:1), carrot root powder, spinach leaf powder, cocoa bean polyphenol extract, grape seed extract (120:1) (std. 95% OPC), green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract (leaf) (10:1), licorice root powder, Lycium berry fruit extract (4:1), ginger rhizome powder, slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) bark powder, kelp whole plant powder.
Plant Extracts and Antioxidants
Alkaline pea protein isolate, citrus bioflavonoids extract, artichoke leaf extract (15:1), citric acid (anhydrous), Rhodiola (Rhodiola Rosea) root dry extract (15:1), eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) root extract (10:1), rosemary leaf extract (4:1), milk thistle seed extract (70:1), RS alpha-lipoic acid, ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract (5:1), dandelion whole plant dry concentrate (4:1), hawthorn berry extract (10:1), beta-glucans, policosanol, coenzyme Q10 (ubidecarenone), stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) leaf powder, Vitamin K2 (as menaquinone-7).
Enzyme and Mushroom Complex
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous) root powder extract (4:1), bromelain (dietary enzyme), burdock root powder (4:1), reishi mushroom powder, shiitake mushroom powder.
Dairy-Free Probiotics
Lactobacillus acidophilus – UALa-01, Bifidobacterium bifidum – UABb-10
Perfect Keto Greens Ingredients
Perfect Keto Greens Powder contains a wide variety of ingredients that can be grouped into 6: Greens Blend (Organic), Antioxidant Blend, Berry Blend (Organic), Absorption Blend, MCTs, and stevia.
All ingredients are extracted from real food and don’t include any artificial sweeteners or preservatives.
Greens Blend
The organic Greens Blend contains a wide variety of keto-friendly vegetables including:
Alfalfa Leaf Juice, Wheatgrass, Barley Grass, Oat Grass, Broccoli, Cabbage, Parsley, Kale, Spirulina, Chlorella, Kelp, Dulse, Dandelion, Broccoli Sprouts.
Berry Blend (Organic)
The Berry Blend contains: Apple, Maquiberry, Pomegranate, Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry, Cranberry, Apple Extract.
Antioxidant Blend
Berberine HCl, Bromelain, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Milk Thistle Seed Extract, Inositol, Gotu Kola, Reishi Mushroom Powder, Hibiscus Flower Extract.
Absorption Blend
The Absorption Blend is a combination of digestive enzymes added to help you better break down and absorb the nutrients in the powder. The blend contains: Amylase, Cellulase, Lactase, Lipase, Protease, N-Acetyl Cysteine.
Stevia
Some greens powders have been known to taste grassy, not Perfect Keto’s. The product is sweetened with stevia to make it more palatable, even when mixed with just water.
Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)
Perfect Keto Greens Powder contains MCT oil to give you energy, help you boost ketone levels, and reach ketosis faster.
Taste
Athletic Greens doesn’t give a recommendation of how to use their product. Most of the brand’s customers mix the greens with just water. The reviews on the taste of the greens are mixed with some saying they are satisfied while others say it’s gritty and average in taste.
There’re so many ways you can use your Perfect Keto Greens powder. It can be used in plain water, smoothies, salad dressing, and more. Most reviewers are pleased with the taste with some saying the greens don’t have the typical aftertaste of other brands.
Price
Athletic Greens cost more than Perfect Keto Greens. This is true in regards to both the full container and each serving.
A 12-serving pouch of Athletic Greens costs $99 which works out to $3.3 per 12 g serving. The travel-friendly pack costs $109 which works out to $3.63 per serving.
12 servings of the Perfect Keto Greens Powder costs $49.99 which comes out to $2.5 per serving.
Perfect Keto Greens cost $1.13 less than Athletic Greens per serving.
Reviews
Both products have many positive reviews with many praising the nutrition and taste in comparison to other brands.
Athletic Greens Reviews
Positive reviews of Athletic Greens include:
- “Taste is pleasant for all the greens you get. Gave 4-star for the price tag only.”
- “I’ve noticed a definite increase in energy and mood since I started taking AG powder, and it’s become a part of my daily routine.”
- “Taste good and feels like it’s helped my daily nutrition”
The negative reviews of Athletic Greens are mostly on the taste, packaging, and price of the product.
- “The taste could be better. The worst part is the packaging. They give you a bag to dump into your tin container and the powder goes everywhere.”
- “I love various greens powders and had heard so much about Athletic Greens that I was excited to try it out. I’m used to the greens flavor. I was so disappointed with the taste due to the stevia and weird blueberry flavor. It takes like children’s medicine no matter how I attempt to drink it. I’ve tried it with ice water, room-temp water, in a smoothie. Tastes like kids medicine. It’s terrible. I can’t stomach it.”
- “Love the products. Just too expensive!”
Perfect Keto reviews
Perfect Keto Greens Powder has many positive reviews with most of them praising its nutrition, taste, and keto-friendliness.
Here are some of the positive reviews Perfect Keto Greens Powder has gotten from customers:
- Kathy says, “I am glad I found a way to assure I get nutritious greens in my diet. I just mix in water and enjoy!”
- “Taste is amazing and forces me to get my veggies in. Love it,” Brooke says.
- “I tasted this product for the first time, the taste is fantastic, compared to other greens I have tried before. I am on a keto diet and I love the fact that there’s no aftertaste from the green or sweetener. I have bought several types of greens supplements before and ended up throwing them away after a while. I’ll use this daily and see what happens. Thank you!”, writes Lucy.
- “The Greens Powder tastes good and mixes well,” says Marie.
To keep things fair, here are a few reviews from some customers who weren’t completely pleased with the product.
- “I tried this product because I felt that I wasn’t getting enough green food in my diet. The first time I tried it, I used hot water. I found it to have a strong grass flavor, but it was okay. The second time, I used cold water and I didn’t enjoy it. The third time, I mixed it with Gatorade Zero and it was a whole lot better. I have more energy and a full feeling after drinking my greens!”
- “I got this hoping to use it for my kids, but they hated it. It does definitely have a “green” smell and a bit of an aftertaste. I decided I would have to use it up myself. I’ll say, I think one scoop is WAY too much for 8 oz water. I now add about 3/4 scoop to approximately 28oz water and now I am HOOKED. I’ll add it doesn’t completely dissolve, so I give it a little shake periodically as I am drinking it. I am really enjoying it now and love getting nutrition without the extra carbs. Will definitely order again! If you guys come up with a chocolate flavor, I think my kids will be on board”
- “I’ve tried the lemon and it’s ok. It’s a little difficult for me to get down but I’ll definitely drink it. Also bought the orange but haven’t tried that one yet. Lemon isn’t horrible. I think it just takes some getting used to”
Side Effects
There have been reports of side effects like diarrhea, stomach upset, and vomiting after using certain greens powders. However, both Perfect Keto and Athletic Greens don’t cause any problems after use.
Which Greens Powder is Best For Keto?
Both Perfect Keto and Athletic Greens are high-quality products made with high-quality ingredients. They both boost overall health, have great taste, reviews, and no side effects after use.
However, Perfect Keto comes at a more reasonable price of $2.50 per serving. If you are looking for a greens powder that offers good nutrition and great taste at an affordable price, the Perfect Keto Greens Powder is the product for you.