Magic 'greens' powder is OMGSOHEALTHY

[Fodder]

Someone on Instagram was promoting this Arbonne "Greens Balance" powder.

http://www.arbonnemarketing.com/emailmarketing/images/6232_ca_eng.pdf

SO.....let me start by excoriating all that is ridiculous about this product:

1. 216g of the product is $60, making this product $120/lb.  Think about that for a second.
2. While I will admit the the ingredient list is not full of most of the shit contained in most of these types of products, the very first ingredient is inulin, which is a cheap form of fibre.  Keyword being: cheap.
3. The rest of the product is basically dried and pulverized fruits and vegetables (i.e., cheap).
4. The product purports to contain 1 serving of fruits/vegetables per scoop (which is $2).  I don't know about you, but at the grocery store, for $2, I can get a LOT more than a single serving of fruits/veggies.
5. A scoop contains only 3 g of fibre, which is half that of a serving of fresh raspberries or blueberries.
6. They don't bother to break down most vitamins, but the product apparently contains NO Vitamin A and 4% for Vitamin C.  This despite the fact that it advertises itself as containing fruits and vegetables that are rich in these vitamins (i.e., carrot, orange).  IN fact, if you read the little flyer, it even says that the fruits and vegetables in it ARE sources of these Vitamins.  The marketing is so deceptive, it's appalling.  It also goes to show how little real fruit and vegetable is in this product.
7.  Based on my best guess, almost half the product is, in fact, inulin.  Inulin is $12/pound. http://www.bulkfoods.com/fiber/4295-inulin-powder.html

So basically, as far as I can tell, dumb people are paying $2/serving for 3g of fibre.  And they are trying to tell me how OMGHEALTHYAMAZING it is.

Sorry, for $60, I can buy a lot more than 30 servings of fruits and vegetables.  I'll stick with whole fruits and vegetables, which give me more vitamins and minerals (and a lot more satiety) for a fraction of the cost.

This product is designed for SUCKAHS.

[MgoSam]

Outside of that first ingredient, I don't see what is so terrible about this product. This is more than I have spent on green powders/serving, but without taking a good long look at what it has, I can't say that is necessarily awful.

Yes, if you go to the groceries you can buy vegetables for under $2/serving, but that's like saying, almonds cost X, why does almond milk cost more than the cost of the almonds? There is the unit cost, plus processing/manufacturing, plus you have to run a company that has tons of overhead and....you have to have a profit margin.

[MgoSam]

Also, there is the simple fact that it is convenient. I've heard of people mixing this with their water and drinking it as soon as they wake up, so that when their body is somewhat famished, they get nutrients as soon as they are awake. Or others that travel a lot, so to make sure they get enough vegetables they will toss a scoop in a Blenderball and mix with water (I do this!), or if they have roommates that are sleeping and a considerate roommate doesn't want to wake them with his Vita-mix, he can just make a morning smoothie using this instead of kale or spinach or red leaf lettuce.

[Fodder]

MgoSam - I think we will agree to disagree.  :)

To me, this product is a crazy waste of money for not a lot of benefit.  I've never seen the appeal of greens powders.  Mind you, I'm also not into smoothies.  I just eat my fruits and vegetables whole.  :D

[MgoSam]

Fair enough, and I think my tone came across as harsh, not my intention. I tolerate vegetables, but haven't quite developed an appreciate for their taste, so smoothies are what works for me.

[Pigeon]

Looks like an insane waste of money to me, too.  I didn't know Arbonne did other things besides MLM insane waste of money cosmetics.

But the whole idea of consuming veggies in smoothies is gag-worthy to me.

[Fodder]

Fair enough, and I think my tone came across as harsh, not my intention. I tolerate vegetables, but haven't quite developed an appreciate for their taste, so smoothies are what works for me.

It's all good!

I think my view of the product is also coloured by the fact that the pusher is a vegan who is always going on and on about vegetables and health, so I personally find it hilarious that they would consume such a product.

[Goldielocks]

MgoSam - I think we will agree to disagree.  :)

To me, this product is a crazy waste of money for not a lot of benefit.  I've never seen the appeal of greens powders.  Mind you, I'm also not into smoothies.  I just eat my fruits and vegetables whole.  :D

Crazy waste of money for convenience. CRAZY. Period.

[GuitarStv]

Also, there is the simple fact that it is convenient. I've heard of people mixing this with their water and drinking it as soon as they wake up, so that when their body is somewhat famished, they get nutrients as soon as they are awake. Or others that travel a lot, so to make sure they get enough vegetables they will toss a scoop in a Blenderball and mix with water (I do this!), or if they have roommates that are sleeping and a considerate roommate doesn't want to wake them with his Vita-mix, he can just make a morning smoothie using this instead of kale or spinach or red leaf lettuce.

Convenient?

Most fruits and veggies can be eaten out of hand.  I'd argue that rinsing off a piece of fruit or leaf of lettuce is not more work than blending up some processed crap.  There is no need to blend any food as you have an innate blending attachment . . . teeth!

This whole concept is silly.

[Pigeon]

I don't get the convenience factor, either.  And how many people are so famished after a night's sleep that they don't have the energy to stumble into the kitchen and eat some real food?  Not everything takes hours to cook.

[myteafix]

Mixing this ~magic health powder~ into a smoothie or protein shake takes a lot less thought than shopping for fruits and vegetables, finding combinations that taste good for homemade smoothies, etc.

I guess people figure if something enables them to be lazy (under the guise of being healthy), they don't care if it's a bit pricey.

[Cpa Cat]

I prefer that all my food comes in powdered form, and I'm willing to pay a premium.

YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHEN THE ZOMBIES COME, SUCKAHS!

[Pigeon]

Soylent Green for the win!

[damize]

Soylent Green for the win!

Soylent Green is People!  www.soylent.me ftw!

[GuitarStv]

Mixing this ~magic health powder~ into a smoothie or protein shake takes a lot less thought than shopping for fruits and vegetables, finding combinations that taste good for homemade smoothies, etc.

I guess people figure if something enables them to be lazy (under the guise of being healthy), they don't care if it's a bit pricey.

See, the problem lies with your initial assumption . . . which is that people need to eat smoothies for some reason.  Smoothies aren't lazy, they're more work than eating fruit and veggies out of hand.

[LalsConstant]

Maybe useful for vacations/trips like hiking or camping trips where you want to pack your food ahead of time?  Seems like a compact way to insure you get your nutrients on the go.

Maybe good for disaster preparedness?   I agree using this every day does seem a bit needless.

[myteafix]

Mixing this ~magic health powder~ into a smoothie or protein shake takes a lot less thought than shopping for fruits and vegetables, finding combinations that taste good for homemade smoothies, etc.

I guess people figure if something enables them to be lazy (under the guise of being healthy), they don't care if it's a bit pricey.

See, the problem lies with your initial assumption . . . which is that people need to eat smoothies for some reason.  Smoothies aren't lazy, they're more work than eating fruit and veggies out of hand.

That's what I said. Preparing a smoothie yourself is not lazy. Mixing this powder into something pre-made (maybe a smoothie from Starbucks, or a protein shake) is lazy.

And I never said people need to drink smoothies; I just referenced them because that seems like the logical place to put the powder, instead of a simple glass of water.

[MgoSam]

I should add that in my book there is a difference between putting powder in water and a smoothie. Powders like this are useful for me when I was on the road, but now that I am traveling very infrequently I am happy to just spend $1.20 for a big head of red leaf lettuce to make a smoothie with blueberries and a banana.

The only thing I really object to on this is the price point. This is what I remember buying when I was on the road more frequently, and I believe I got it a lot cheaper

http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Grass-Superfood-Original-Servings/dp/B00112ILZM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415910387&sr=8-1&keywords=Green+powder

[Pigeon]

Why would you blend and drink vegetables?  I'm not being snarky, I just don't understand why you wouldn't make a delicious salad out of that nice head of red leaf lettuce?

[mydogismyheart]

I think it just depends on people's taste.  I am not a huge fan nor am I good about eating my daily allotment of fruits and veggies.  I am not going to sit down and eat a big green salad with an apple.  I don't like most salad dressings and I don't like my salads plain.  HOWEVER, I do enjoy green smoothies.  If made right, they're nice and sweet and have lots of good, fresh ingredients in them to keep me healthy.  Kale, spinach, banana, apple, mango, cherries.  Whatever I feel like putting in.  I have even made an almond butter/ chocolate kale smoothie and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Also, smoothies can last up to 48 hours in the fridge and still be good, so one could make a large batch, pour into a few glass mason jars, and drink throughout the 48 hours.  This is often what I do.

I would rather drink fresh homemade smoothies than a green powder, but that's just my personal taste opinion.  I wouldn't be willing to pay $120 for this.  I'm pretty sure that I can make plenty of green smoothies for cheaper.

[Pigeon]

I'll just have to take your word for it because kale and mangos or chocolate do not belong in the same sentence as far as I go.

This reminds me of when I was going through chemo and a well-meaning colleague who is into the woo showed up at my office door with a giant glass bottle of some muddy green organic wheatgrass juice blend.  It was the only time during the entire ordeal that I came close to tossing my cookies.

[NoraLenderbee]

The label says 1 scoop is equivalent to one serving of vegetables. One serving is defined by the USDA as a half-cup. So each scoop is equivalent to a small helping of cooked broccoli, or a single apple or orange. The jar contains 30 scoops. Thus it's equivalent to one orange per day for a month, or 6 days' worth of vegetables if you use it to provide 5 servings per day. IOW, it's very expensive for what you get.

The question is, to me, whether this product actually provides a meaningful amount of nutrients in a normal serving. If it does, then it might be useful to someone who values the convenience. The label doesn't say much, but if a scoop provides such a small amount of Vitamin C and no Vitamin A, I can't imagine it has much of anything else, since Vit C and Vit A are two of the main things vegs and fruit provide.  A smoothie would have about a million times as much.

[Barbaebigode]

That's a ridiculous way of expending money. I'm not saying some sort of healthy powder meal is useless, but this is too expensive considering that it is 100% possible to eat healthy on the cheap.

[FIPurpose]

I have occasionally dabbled in green mixtures. Usually for when I'm sick though, don't feel like eating much but need to get lots of nutrition.

When that happens I like having this stuff on hand: http://www.life-enthusiast.com/iridesca-superfood-powder-p-75.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=iridesca&gclid=Cj0KEQiA-aujBRDqj772vpGfgooBEiQAzWAZUmV4eepKT8exxeVNX04W5rMw1DpdgQSiExWmIN-uKEcaAl4J8P8HAQ

Slightly more by weight, but way more vitamin dense.

[Chranstronaut]

Overall, I think any kind of meal supplement, protein powder or green mix drink is anti-mustachian.  We know we can get the same results by preparing and eating real food.

I dabble in green powder as well and eat the Ultimate Meal a few times a week for breakfast: http://www.theultimatelife.net/images/tumeal-eco21.jpg

Personally, I believe I eat decently healthy at home, but I am willing to pay for some convenience to help me.  I like the commitment of this company to know where they source their ingredients and their packaging life-cycle.  But I don't believe the pro-vegan, anti-"toxins" rhetoric of most of these products and the owner of Ultimate Meals sounds pretty strange.  I pay about $50 for a "30 servings" container (don't order direct from them), but I usually only drink 1/2 to 2/3 a serving because it fills me up.  My poop is great.  I'm sure I could make improvements to my diet to have the same effects, just like a person doesn't need protein powder or vitamins in a normal healthy life, but I don't mind paying for this convenience in this instance.

To assume that any product is going to make someone healthy or smart or better at XYZ is pretty silly, and I hate that things are marketed that way.

[golden1]

I don't understand the need to make every micro and macro nutrient in powder form.  It is unappetizing, costs more to process, requires the use of an expensive blender etc...  Why not just eat the fruits and vegetables? 

[MgoSam]

I don't understand the need to make every micro and macro nutrient in powder form.  It is unappetizing, costs more to process, requires the use of an expensive blender etc...  Why not just eat the fruits and vegetables?

Are you seriously asking or making a statement? There have been a few people that have mentioned why it can be preferred, if you actually care to know, read the responses.

[GuitarStv]

 . . . and ignore the fact that most of the responses are pretty silly.

[MgoSam]

. . . and ignore the fact that most of the responses are pretty silly.

That's perfectly fine, do what works for you. When I travel, I will bring green powder with me, for me it is worth the extra expense.

[Quark]

I can't actually eat fruits or vegetables, because FODMAPS. I'm not into green smoothies but I do buy a powdered bioavailable vitamin mixture that costs $200 for a six month supply. It helps with my vitamin/mineral deficiencies.

But this product is ridiculous.

[chemgeek]

Smoothies get me through my commute. I am not an early bird and wake up with enough time to shower and pack a lunch before I need to leave. I eat breakfast when I get to work. I also wake up generally very hungry with a rumbling stomach in the mornings.  As someone that's prone to fainting, I have ( probably irrational) fears of hypoglycemia while driving.

They're also a good way of getting rid of fruit or veggies that are slightly past ripe and wouldn't be that palatable otherwise.