If you’re among the 90% of American adults struggling to meet the CDC’s recommendations for a healthy diet, you might be considering fruit and vegetable supplements. But are these supplements effective? Can they provide the same nutrition as fresh produce? Here, we review the top five fruit and vegetable supplements of 2024, evaluating their helpfulness, safety, cost, and convenience.
Watching kids turn down healthy fruits and vegetables can be frustrating and concerning for parents who want the best for their children. Research indicates that picky eating can result from various factors, including ancient evolutionary tendencies to avoid potentially toxic substances, children’s unique personality traits, and parental feeding practices.
Understanding Picky Eating
Picky eating habits often develop when parents punish, bribe, or reward their children’s eating behaviors. This dynamic creates a dilemma: should you push your kids to eat healthy foods or give up? Forcing children to eat foods they dislike can entrench their resistance even further.
If your children have specific boundaries around the vegetables they’ll eat but willingly choose carrots, gem squash, and cucumbers, you have a good starting point. As they grow, their tastes may expand to include more vegetables.
The Role of Fruit and Vegetable Supplements
Fruit and vegetable supplements can help bridge nutritional gaps until children’s tastes broaden. These supplements provide an alternative source of essential nutrients without the battle at the dinner table.
Do Fruit and Vegetable Supplements Work?
The research on fruit and vegetable supplements is mixed. A 2021 study in the International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research found that participants who consumed encapsulated fruit, berry, and vegetable juice powder concentrate increased their blood concentrations of vitamins A, C, and E, and carotenoids over eight weeks. However, the study required participants to take six capsules a day, a high number for both adults and teens. Another study in Nutrition Journal found no effect on metabolic outcomes like blood sugar or body weight. A 2019 systematic review in the Journal of Clinical Medicine showed promising results in reducing cardiovascular disease risk but noted the need for more long-term, large-scale studies.
Krista Linares, a registered dietitian, emphasizes that while supplements can be beneficial, they cannot fully replicate the complex mix of nutrients, enzymes, water, and fiber found in whole fruits and vegetables. These components help with digestion and provide a sense of fullness that supplements alone cannot achieve.
Ensuring Supplement Quality
Since dietary supplements in the U.S. are regulated as food rather than drugs, ensuring their quality is crucial. Look for third-party verification on product labels, such as NSF International or United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) verified marks, to ensure the supplements contain what they claim.
Helping Kids Eat More Vegetables
Here are some strategies to encourage children to eat more vegetables without a fight:
- Prepare Familiar Dishes: Incorporate vegetables into dishes they already enjoy.
- Dress Up Vegetables: Make vegetables more appealing by adding sauces or cheese. Gradually transition to healthier versions.
- Hide Vegetables: Sneak vegetables into favorite dishes. For example, add pureed cauliflower to mashed potatoes or finely diced vegetables to lasagna.
- Frozen Snacks: Offer premade veggie snacks like veggie tots or sweet potato fries alongside familiar favorites like pizza bites.
Ensuring a sufficient intake of fruits and vegetables is essential for obtaining a wide range of nutrients and antioxidants that contribute to overall health. However, it can sometimes be challenging to include a variety of these plant foods in your daily diet. This is where fruit and vegetable supplements can be beneficial. Here are our top five picks, based on extensive testing, along with a guide to choosing high-quality supplements for optimal health benefits.
What are Fruit and Vegetable Supplements?
Fruit and vegetable supplements incorporate freeze-dried ingredients to help fill in dietary gaps. They preserve essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients found in fresh produce. Clinical trials have shown these supplements can raise levels of beneficial polyphenols in the blood and may benefit chronic health conditions.
Are Fruit and Vegetable Supplements Right for You?
These supplements can fortify your diet by providing additional nutrients not always available in the produce aisle. However, they can’t replace a healthy diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables offer water, fiber, and naturally occurring digestive enzymes that supplements can’t fully replicate.
Who Should Avoid Fruit and Vegetable Supplements?
Individuals with food allergies should read labels carefully and consult with a doctor before starting a new supplement. Those with certain conditions or taking medications should also be cautious, as some ingredients may interact with drugs.
Comparing Fruit and Vegetable Supplements and Multivitamins
Fruit and vegetable supplements contain freeze-dried whole foods and botanicals, while multivitamins typically contain synthetic vitamins and minerals. Fruit and vegetable supplements offer phytochemicals that multivitamins lack but are usually more expensive.
Benefits of Fruit and Vegetable Supplements
Fruits and veggies provide essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals that support overall health. Supplements can help fill nutritional gaps, especially if you struggle to consume a variety of produce.
Top Considerations and Evaluation Criteria
To evaluate our top picks, we considered the following criteria:
- Helpfulness: Can the ingredients included be beneficial?
- Safety: Is the product safe?
- Cost: How much does the product cost, considering shipping and subscription options?
- Convenience: Will the product be convenient to incorporate into your routine?
Helpfulness
Winner: Athletic Greens AG1
AG1 stands out for its comprehensive vitamin and mineral content, providing over 100% of the Daily Value for several vitamins and minerals. It also includes antioxidants, adaptogens, and probiotics, enhancing its potential health benefits.
Safety
Winner: Terra Kai Organics JUCE Reds
Terra Kai Organics JUCE Reds excels in safety due to its USDA organic certification, non-GMO status, and rigorous third-party testing for contaminants. It is also free of major allergens like gluten, dairy, and soy.
Cost
Winner: Double Wood Daily Fruits and Veggies
At just $0.33 per serving, Double Wood Daily Fruits & Veggies is the most cost-effective option. It offers a blend of 49 different fruits and vegetables, though it lacks detailed nutrient content labeling.
Convenience
Winner: AG1
AG1 offers convenience with on-the-go serving-sized travel packets, a 90-day money-back guarantee, and excellent customer service. It also includes a free bottle and powder container with a subscription.
Best Tasting Fruit and Vegetable Supplement: Live It Up Super Greens
- Nutrition Facts: 31 calories, 4.8g carbs, 2g protein, 0g sugar, 0g fat
- Flavors: Original, Wild Berries
- Certifications: Third-party tested
- Subscription: Save 33% with a 30- or 60-day subscription
- Sweeteners: Monk fruit extract
- Price Per Serving: $1.33
Pros:
- Increased energy levels and reduced brain fog
- Pleasant flavor
- Transparent labeling of vitamin amounts
Cons:
- Clumps if not blended properly
Best Fruit and Vegetable Supplement with Prebiotics: Transparent Labs Prebiotic Greens
- Nutrition Facts: 60 calories, 11g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 3g protein
- Flavors: Unflavored, Peach Mango
- Certifications: Third-party testing through Analytical Resource Labs
- Subscription: 10% off with customizable frequency
- Sweeteners: Stevia
- Price Per Serving: $1.53
Pros:
- Third-party tested
- Contains prebiotic fibers
- Highly rated
Cons:
- Very sweet flavor might not appeal to everyone
Best Organic Fruit and Vegetable Supplement: KOS Show Me The Greens
- Nutrition Facts: 30 calories, 6g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 1g protein
- Flavors: Green Apple Sorbet
- Certifications: USDA Organic, non-GMO
- Subscription: 20% off with customizable frequency
- Sweeteners: Stevia, monk fruit
- Price Per Serving: $1.33
Pros:
- Organic and non-GMO
- Contains several fruit and vegetable ingredients
- Good source of iron
Cons:
- Ingredients listed in proprietary blends rather than exact amounts
Best Fruit and Vegetable Supplement for Immunity: AG1
- Nutrition Facts: 50 calories, 6g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 2g protein
- Flavors: Unflavored but has notes of pineapple and vanilla
- Certifications: Third-party tested for toxins and allergens, NSF Certified for Sport, manufactured in an FDA-registered and cGMP-compliant facility
- Subscription: Monthly, 20% off
- Sweeteners: None
- Price Per Serving: $3.30
Pros:
- Third-party tested for allergens and toxins
- Vegan, gluten and dairy-free, non-GMO, and free of artificial sweeteners and sugar
- Continuously improved research-based formula
Cons:
- Expensive
Best Fruit and Vegetable Supplement Blends: Jacked Factory Green Surge
- Nutrition Facts: Not listed
- Flavors: Unflavored, Mixed Berry, Sour Apple, Lemon Lime, Mint Chocolate
- Certifications: None
- Subscription: 15% off with delivery every 30, 45, or 60 days
- Sweeteners: Stevia
- Price Per Serving: $0.99
Pros:
- Variety of fruits and vegetables
- Great value for high-quality ingredients
- Keto-friendly
Cons:
- Very sweet flavor
- Lack of specific nutrition facts for vitamins and minerals
Benefits of a Fruit and Vegetable Supplement
Fruit and vegetable supplements are designed to boost your intake of nutrients and antioxidants. Common ingredients include algae like spirulina and chlorella, grasses such as wheatgrass and alfalfa, and a variety of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables. These supplements may help reduce the risk of nutrient deficiency, improve energy levels, support immune function, and reduce inflammation.
Who Would Benefit:
- People who don’t consume enough fruits and vegetables
- Those on restrictive diets or fasting
- Individuals with certain nutrient deficiencies
- People who prefer powdered supplements over pills
Who Might Not Benefit:
- Those already eating a diverse range of fruits and vegetables
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women should consult their healthcare provider