The CDC has reported that only 1 out of 10 Americans1 meet the USDA recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake. While many a registered dietitian such as myself is in a constant battle to improve this statistic, a green powder supplement can be a great way to maintain wellness while you are working to improve your intake of daily greens.
RELATED: Best Greens Powder
However, which one should you choose? There are more and more of these brands releasing their own versions of supergreens in convenient powder form every day. A couple of the brands that are currently all the rage among influencers are Athletic Greens and Bloom. So, let’s look at these dietary supplements side by side and see how they measure up.
Athletic Greens
Athletic Greens AG1
Product Highlights
- Contains 75 minerals and nutrients in one serving
- Available in travel pouches and bundle and save options
- Said to support gut health with prebiotics, probiotics, and naturally occuring enzymes
- Supports immunity with key ingredients like vitamin C and mushrooms
- Magnesium is added to boost energy
- May aid in recovery as it features superfood complex with adaptogens and antioxidants
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Backed by notable health experts
- Transparent and detailed ingredient list
- 75 vitamins and minerals
Cons
- Expensive
- Some reviewers dislike the taste
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a greens powder with a unique blend of minerals, nutrients, power greens, enzymes, and probiotics and you're willing to spend some money, Athletic Greens may be a good choice for you.
Bloom
Bloom Greens and Superfoods
Product Highlights
- 30+ ingredients to support gut health
- Bloom claims their product support immunity, energy, and gut health
- Available in 30- and 60-serving containers
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Subscribe and save 10%
- Available in 4 flavors
- Soy-, dairy-, and gluten-free
- Vegan
Cons
- Mixed reviews on flavors
- Uses Stevia leaf extract
- Mixed reviews on effectiveness
Bottom Line
Bloom Green and Superfoods is a greens product that contains more than 30 ingredients, including fruits, vegetables, antioxidants, probiotics, and more. Bloom shares that this product supports gut health, boosts energy, and decreases bloating. Reviews for this product are mostly positive, but there are negative reviews complaining about the taste and effectiveness. Some users experienced increased bloating which may be due to the stevia leaf extract.
Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider. GGR also recommends choosing a product that has been third-party tested for quality.
Comparison Chart
| Athletic Greens | Bloom | |
| Price | $99.00 | $39.99 |
| Price per serving | $3.30 | $1.33 |
| Flavor options | Unflavored | Berry, Coconut, Citrus, Mango, Original |
| Vitamins | Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, biotin, pantothenic acid | Not listed |
| Minerals | Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, sodium, potassium | Iron, Sodium |
| Whole-food sources | Acerola, alfalfa, apple, artichoke, barley grass, bilberry, bioflavonoids, broccoli flower, carrots, cocoa bean polyphenol extract, hawthorn berry, lycium berry, natural pineapple flavor, natural vanilla flavor, papaya, pea protein, pineapple, spinach, spirulina, stevia, wheatgrass | Cranberry fruit, strawberry fruit, raspberry fruit, tart cherry, elderberry fruit, acai fruit, goji berry, horseradish tree leaf, grape seed, matcha green teal leaf, Organic carrot, beet root, kale leaf, blueberry, spinach, broccoli, ginger root, apple fruit powder |
| Digestive enzymes and probiotics | Beta glucan, bromelain, bifidobacterium bifidum, inulin, lactobacillus acidophilus | Maltodextrin, amylase, amyloglucosidase, protease, acid protease, cellulase, lipase, Blue Agave Inulin, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophus |
| Adaptogens | Ashwagandha, astragalus, beet powder, burdock root, chlorella, citric acid, dandelion root, eleuthero root, ginger, grapeseed extract, green tea extract, kelp, lecithin, licorice, milk thistle, policosanol, reishi mushroom, rhodiola, rose hips, rosemary, shiitake mushroom, slippery elm | Licorice root, rhodiola root, american ginseng root, ashwagandha root, astragalus root, eleuthero root |
| Third-party testing? | Yes, NSF Certified for Sport | No |
| Return policy | 90-day money-back guarantee | Unopened/Unused product must be returned within 15 days for a full refund |
Quick Look: Athletic Greens vs Bloom
Let’s start with Athletic Greens. It’s unflavored, but contains no added sugar and contains its self-proclaimed dairy free probiotics that total 9 billion CFU in order to help maintain a healthy microbiome. Despite having a serving size of only 12 grams of supergreens powder, Athletic Greens contains over 75 ingredients total, with plenty of vitamins and minerals and strong antioxidant content.
RELATED: Athletic Greens Review
With Bloom Greens, it doesn’t take a registered dietitian to tell you that the formulation is disappointing. Even a casual label-reader can see that a tiny serving size of only 5.44 grams of powder can only hold so many health benefits. Even though it contains many of the same compounds that are found in supergreens powders like Athletic Greens, one can wonder if the amounts of each of these ingredients are sufficient for it to work as advertised.
That said, we can’t deny that some testimonials swear by Bloom Greens’ superfood blend and its ability to aid in their bloating issues. These reported improvements in digestive health are likely due to the number of digestive enzymes included, something that is seriously lacking in the formulation of Athletic Greens.
What’s more, Bloom Greens also contains no added sugars or artificial sweeteners, despite being well-loved for its flavors, and contains prebiotics and probiotics to aid with gut health. In spite of this, it is concerning that Bloom does not provide CFU count for these microbiome warriors on the label.
RELATED: Bloom Greens Review
However, despite its claims to increase energy levels and boost the immune system, Bloom lacks minerals and vitamins in comparison to Athletic Greens, with the supergreens powder listing no minerals listed on the label at all.
Who Should Buy Athletic Greens
- Those who value a good amount of vitamins and minerals in their greens drink
- Athletes who can only use supplements that undergo third-party testing
- People who don’t mind paying more for quality
Who Should Buy Bloom
- People who are new to greens powder
- Those who want a more budget-friendly greens powder than Athletic Greens
- Individuals looking for a sweet greens drink without the aftertaste of artificial sweeteners
Key Similarities Between Athletic Greens and Bloom
- Both contain an impressive variety of whole food, plant-based ingredients
- Both are friendly for keto, paleo, and vegan diets
- Both are dairy-free, gluten-free, and free of artificial sweeteners
- Both contain a combination of prebiotics and probiotics to help maintain a healthy microbiome
- Both contain adaptogens, including rhodiola and ashwagandha
Important Differences Between Athletic Greens and Bloom
- Athletic Greens costs 148% more per serving than Bloom
- Bloom comes in 5 different flavors whereas AG1 only has one, plain flavored option
- Athletic Greens has significantly more vitamins and minerals than Bloom
- Bloom Greens contains multiple digestive enzymes while Athletic Greens only has one
- Athletic Greens contains significantly more adaptogens
- Athletic Greens is third-party tested while Bloom has no such certification
- Athletic Greens has a 90-day money back guarantee where you can get a refund even if you’ve used the product, while Bloom just has a 15-day return policy where you can only get a refund if the greens powder has been unused and unopened.
Price Per Serving
One huge part of Bloom’s popularity is likely due to how affordable it is. For some people, daily greens powder is seen as a dietary supplement for the elite upper class. However, the price of $1.33 per serving for something that is so hyped up by everyone’s favorite content creators is super appealing.
Athletic Greens, however, is a different story. At an eye-watering $3.33 per serving, this is the most expensive supergreens powder I’ve ever seen. One of the most common obstacles a nutritionist will run into when trying to promote the intake of fruits and veggies is how expensive they can be. So, the price is (kinda) justified for the high-quality, science-backed ingredients and third-party testing. However, you’d better have some cash to spare if you choose to commit to taking AG1 daily.
Taste and Solubility
With Bloom, you have the option of choosing from sweet and fruity flavors, whereas with Athletic Greens, the plain flavor is your only option. However, our team found that it still has notes of vanilla and pineapple in the flavor and that it is a winner in the mixing department, provided you don’t let it settle.
GGR senior editor Nicole Davis says of AG1, “Although it doesn’t come with flavor options, the taste is actually pretty good for a greens powder. It’s mild and a bit grassy (to be expected), but I get a pineapple vanilla flavor predominantly. It’s very pleasant. It mixes up fine, but does settle after a while. So if you don’t plan to drink this quickly in one sitting, you’ll have to reshake.”
As far as Bloom, well, if you’ve heard even a whisper about it on Tiktok, you’ll know it’s among the top picks of social media because of its sweet flavors that everyone seems to love. Nicole tried the mango flavor from Bloom Nutrition and had this to say: “It’s actually really tasty! It’s sweet, but still grassy, and the mango flavor covers the greens powder taste just enough. There is a slight smell of grass when you bring the cup to your mouth to drink.”
When it comes to the solubility of Bloom? Well, what Tiktok probably won’t tell you is you’d better have a strong blender…or a killer shaker bottle. “Solubility is not great,” Nicole continues. “There are clumps and sediment at the bottom if you just try to mix with a spoon. It’s better with a shaker.”
RELATED: Primal Greens vs Athletic Greens
Third-Party Testing
Especially if you are an athlete, GGR and registered dietitians such as myself always recommend choosing third-party tested supplements. As far as Bloom Nutrition is concerned, it has not achieved such testing or certifications. Athletic Greens, on the other hand, is tested by NSF for Sport, which is a third-party testing agency that is recognized for giving drug-tested athletes peace of mind that there are no unsafe or banned substances in their greens blend.
Company Policies
You can return Bloom Nutrition products within 15 days of receiving your shipment for a full refund if they are unopened and undamaged, but only if you order from the website. With Amazon, watch out, as they won’t be able to offer a refund due to company policy. Athletic Greens is significantly more generous and offers a 90-day money-back guarantee that comes with a full refund if you are unsatisfied with your product for any reason.
Both products have similar subscription options. With Bloom Nutrition, you can save 10% on your entire order if you choose the subscribe and save option, which will routinely deliver your greens every 30, 60, or 90 days depending on the frequency you choose. The 3- to 5-day shipping is also totally free and there are payment plan options available through Affirm.
With Athletic Greens, you can save $20 by getting monthly shipments through subscribe and save that you can pause or cancel any time. This option also comes with a free starter kit that includes a canister, shaker, and five travel packs. The big bummer, however, is that you still have to pay $9 for shipping, despite the product costing over $100 after tax.
Final Thoughts on Athletic Greens vs Bloom
While the winner in the battle of the best greens powders is still yet to be determined, these two can certainly have their uses, depending on what you’re looking for. Again, my nutritionist heart needs to reiterate that dietary supplements like multivitamins and fancy organic greens can never take the place of a plant-based diet that includes lean protein and plenty of fruits and veggies. Overall health is best achieved by eating actual leafy greens, other non-starchy fruits and veggies, and lean proteins.
However, when comparing these two supergreens side by side, one thing is clear: One is for the more casual health enthusiast and the other is definitely more well-suited for pros. If you’re looking to dip your toe into the green superfood supplement world, Bloom is a tasty, wallet-friendly way to do it. Just don’t expect a potent powerhouse of nutrients that are going to solve all of your problems.
If you’re an elite athlete or committed to sparing no economic expense on high-quality supergreens, AG1 would be among the top picks for you.
FAQs on Athletic Greens vs Bloom
Is Bloom as good as Athletic Greens?
The formulation in Bloom Greens is not as nutrient-dense as that in Athletic Greens. The number of ingredients in Athletic Greens is over twice that of Bloom, and it also contains vitamins and minerals that Bloom Greens does not.
Why is AG1 so popular?
In addition to the many podcast endorsements, AG1 is widely recommended by social media influencers which has contributed to the popularity of this green superfood powder.
Why is Athletic Greens so expensive?
A likely reason for the price being so much higher than the market average is the more than 75 ingredients in Athletic Greens, along with the extensive testing to ensure ingredients are high-quality. This includes third-party testing certifications through NSF For Sport.
What is Athletic Greens lacking?
There is no verification that, despite being non-GMO, that Athletic Greens uses only organic ingredients. AG1 also lacks the quantity of digestive enzymes and transparent amounts of the individual ingredients of its proprietary blends.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.
References
- CDC. Only 1 in 10 Adults Get Enough Fruits or Vegetables. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published November 24, 2017.
