Can powders really boost your fruit and veg intake?

It’s recommended we get five servings of vegetables and two of fruit each day (with more, especially more vegetables, being better).

But Kiwis are falling way short of the mark; it’s estimated only one in nine of us is hitting the veggie target, just under half of us is getting two fruit servings.

We all know about the benefits of eating our produce, and we know the problems associated with not eating it. There’s clear evidence that eating more vegetables and fruit is strongly linked to better physical and mental health and they lower the risk for a wide range of chronic diseases. Getting your daily ‘five plus two’ can help prevent heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes and cognitive decline.

Dietitian Lily Henderson, spokesperson for Dietitians New Zealand, thinks convenience and confidence come into it, along with other issues like cost.

Though often cited as a barrier to veggie eating, produce costs can really vary.

“I do think prices fluctuate a lot depending on where you live, the season, the weather and your access,” Henderson says.

“Certain crops are actually a bit cheaper [now] than they were this time last year... but it really does depend on whether you have access to affordable produce shops or markets that are not only cheap, but good quality. And do you have the ability to take advantage when things are at a cheaper price.”

As the supply of fresh produce increases, prices stabilise. For example, at the time of writing, a head of broccoli was $1.75 (or two for $3) at one supermarket chain; a similar price to what it was in 2012, according to Statistics NZ data.

Convenience is another issue, says Henderson. “Households are busy and often the time for the preparation and cooking of whole foods and fresh produce can be a barrier and challenging. And I think knowledge is probably an issue. You know, not everyone has the culinary expertise to incorporate a really wide range of vegetables, or understands how to lean into seasonality.”

Some of us are hoping to make up for our fruit and vege shortfall by supplementing with powders that claim to contain multiple plants.

Elle McPherson’s Welleco Super Elixir, for example, is an $88-a-month powder with 40 ingredients described as an "all-in-one greens powder that enhances energy, improves gut health and clears skin". Nutrient Rescue ($79) claims to have "8 New Zealand superfoods squeezed into a simple daily shot"; the company says a daily dose "contains the equivalent of 4 handfuls of red berries and leafy greens to give you a micronutrient boost to help fuel your body".

Some of the health benefits claimed are energy and focus, glowing skin and a healthy gut. There are plenty of other similar products. Health claims range from brain health to immunity to bone, teeth and joint health.

Henderson can see why we might be attracted to these products.

“I think they're seen as attractive because they're quick; you can kind of easily incorporate them into your day or hide them in kids' food, for example. There's no peeling, cooking or chopping.

“I think they're marketed very well and promoted by influencers and celebrities as something that's seen as essential.”

They may be in sexier packaging than whole vegetables and fruits, but that’s where the similarity ends, Henderson reckons. Drinking a powdered smoothie is not the same as eating whole vegetables and fruits.

“When you process or break down any whole food, like vegetables, you're likely to remove some of the benefits, likes some of the water-soluble vitamins and the fibre… so they're unlikely to provide the same level of satisfaction as consuming a whole fruit or vegetable. And when we consume a whole fruit or vegetable, we're eating it as nature intended – all the nutrients are bioavailable; they’re within the food matrix and the fibre structure is intact. There are multiple components within that food that are designed to be consumed together and have synergistic effects. That is very different to consuming those macro or micronutrients in isolation… in a product that's been processed, dried and powdered.”

Henderson stresses that while powders may retain some of the vitamins, minerals and fibre of the whole food, "we don’t have enough evidence around that to say they're a suitable replacement".

Makers of the powders counter that the products are a boost, not a replacement. Nutrient Rescue CEO Maria O’Halloran says its products are not intended to replace fresh fruits and vegetables. “They also are not formulated to supplement fibre, protein, or other macronutrients. Instead, they are to complement a balanced diet by supplying a diverse range of micronutrients that people often find hard to get consistently.”

Powdered products are usually labelled as foods or supplemented foods, which means the health claims the manufacturers are allowed to make are regulated. Some marketing seems to skate close to the line on this, as Consumer magazine noted in a recent analysis.

As with supplement marketing, there can be vague language and implied benefits that are not always backed by direct evidence. Nutrient Rescue has not conducted clinical trials on its finished product, for example; O’Halloran says its formula is based on “published research into the health benefits of each ingredient”.

Much of the marketing of greens powders centres on glowing testimonial reviews from users of the products. As humans, we’re drawn to the recommendations of others. But as Henderson observes, “testimonials are a personal experience, and there could be multiple factors contributing to that beyond the supplement.”

The placebo response is one powerful factor, as are the psychological concepts of the sunk cost fallacy – I’ve invested all this money; of course it’s working! – and confirmation bias: I’ve bought into the benefits of this, so I believe it’s helping.

There might also be prosaic reasons why people perceive greens powders are working: some of them have added ingredients that might be doing the heavy lifting. Welleco’s Super Elixir, for example, contains green tea extract, containing caffeine; and ginseng, a known stimulant – this could boost feelings of energy. It also has inulin and chia seeds – both high in fibre – and magnesium citrate – often used as a laxative to ease constipation – hence potential gut benefits.

When offered the choice, Henderson says she’d rather spend $80 a month on whole foods. “I would always say it's better to spend that money on getting the basics right, versus a tub of a powder.

“Depending on my dietary preferences, I'd probably allocate a lot of that money to fresh vegetables, but also some of the kind of ingredients that I know are nutrition powerhouses, like chia seeds or sunflower seeds… they’re quite cost-effective. I'd try and get some oily fish in there. I'd just be looking to build the foundations of an overall healthy diet.”

Her tips for getting more veggies? Focus on the three Es.

Exposure: “What can we do to foster those experiences with children as young as possible, to give them exposure to a wide range of fruits and vegetables?”

Effort: “We need solutions that save time and remove some of the barriers – it might be frozen options or batch cooking.”

Enjoyment: “Vegetables need to taste delicious. So we want to be using all those culinary ingredients that help them to taste delicious and not be afraid to use a bit of butter or a bit of salt or a bit of olive oil or cheese - we have to enjoy it!”

Taste is one area where the manufacturers of plant powders might not have the answer; here, the testimonials are not all glowing. “I found it tasted foul and wasn’t prepared to deal with that regardless of how healthy it is”, one former user of a greens powder told me.

Another highlights an important point: if you’re not feeling well, it’s worth seeking medical advice rather than reaching for a supplement.

“Honestly I tried it despite knowing better, and that it would probably be a gimmick, but their marketing was everywhere. As expected it was expensive and didn't do anything… turns out I needed a B12 boost and that's why I was feeling bad.”

Niki Bezzant is a freelance writer, speaker, journalist and author focusing on health, wellbeing and science.