As a dietitian, I look for proven ingredients at effective doses whenever I evaluate supplements for my clients. Greens superfood powders are a convenient way to help people fill dietary gaps when they're unable to get their recommended daily greens intake. However, while there are many greens supplements on the market, they aren't created equal.
One relatively new greens powder that recently caught my attention is the Proper Greens Daily Boost Superfood Powder. At first glance, it has the makings of a solid greens supplement, but I wanted to take a closer look. This is my breakdown of the product, its purported benefits, ingredients, safety, cost, and taste in comparison to my preferred superfood powder, Live it Up Super Greens.
This review will cover the following:
- Is Proper Greens Worth a Try?
- What Is Proper Health?
- Purported Health Benefits
- Ingredient Breakdown
- Quality and Safety
- Cost Analysis
- Taste Review
- Why I Recommend Live it Up Super Greens
Proper Greens Daily Boost Superfood Powder Quick Facts
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Key ingredients:
- 1.1 g of Greens Blend
- 3 g of Fiber Blend
- 375 mg of Digestive Enzyme Blend
- 1 billion CFU of probiotics
- Flavors: Green Apple
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Manufacturer health claims:
- Supplements daily nutrition
- Supports vitality
- Supports healthy immune function
- Supports digestive function
- Possible side effects: Proper doesn’t list any specific side effects, but the side effects of greens powders in general can include digestive upset, reactions to allergens, or medication interactions.
- Not recommended for: Individuals sensitive to caffeine.
- Calories: 15 calories per serving
- Cost: A 30-day supply costs $28, or $0.93 per serving. Customers can save 10% by subscribing for a price of $25.20, or $0.84 per serving.
- Shipping: Costs $9
Bottom Line: Is Proper Greens Worth a Try?
Proper Greens Daily Boost contains green superfoods proven to be rich in nutrients and antioxidants, as well as digestive enzymes, fiber, and probiotics for gut health support. Still, Proper Greens features barely over one gram of greens, a mere sprinkle compared to the more robust formula of Live it Up Super Greens, which has more superfoods, probiotics, and nutrients across the board, all for a similar cost.
What Is Proper Health?
Proper Health produces superfood powders and other dietary supplements. The brand was founded in 2025 by Amanda Kloots, who was inspired by her need for supplements that were enjoyable to use in her daily routine. Proper emphasizes efficacy, convenience, and delicious taste. Its supplements are made from whole-food-derived ingredients rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
The Proper Greens Daily Boost Superfood Powder is designed to supplement daily fruit and vegetable intake while supporting digestive function, immune health, and overall health and wellness. Each serving contains 15 calories, 4 grams of carbohydrates, 8 mg of the probiotic Bacillus coagulans, and three proprietary ingredient blends:
- Essential Greens Blend with organic barley grass, organic wheatgrass, broccoli, kale, spinach, spirulina, and more
- Fiber Blend with chicory root oligofructose and apple fiber
- 375 milligrams of digestive enzymes
Proper Pros
- Includes digestive enzymes, fiber, and probiotics for gut support
- Contains vitamin D
- Uses monk fruit extract as a natural sweetener
- Third-party tested and manufactured in a GMP-certified facility
- Free from all major allergens, including gluten
Proper Cons
- Only offers a tiny 1.1 grams of greens
- Only includes eight organic ingredients
- Mixed reviews on the taste of their single flavor
- Only contains 1 billion CFU of probiotics (on the low side) and only one strain
- Includes synthetic vitamins and minerals
- Contains maltodextrin and the food additive silica
Proper Greens Daily Boost Purported Benefits
Proper doesn't make many detailed claims about the benefits of its Greens Daily Boost powder. Instead, it points to the potential benefits of specific nutrients it contains. Let's look at each claim and whether or not they stack up.
#1: Daily Nutrition and Vitality
Proper's Essential Greens Blend features a mix of nutrient-dense essential vegetables and fruits chosen for their vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant content. Proper purports that the wheatgrass, barley grass, spirulina, chlorella, and other ingredients in its formula provide nutrients that can support your energy levels, heart, brain, bones, and overall health and wellness.
Whole greens such as wheatgrass have indeed been shown to provide benefits like these, and it's promising to see vitamins A, C, D, B12, B6, and K listed in the supplement facts. However, it's worth highlighting the low dosages in Proper's formula, which contains just 1.1 grams of greens per serving.
For example, Proper contains just 13% DV of vitamin B12 and 54% DV of vitamin K per serving. Compare that to a more robust formula like Live it Up Super Greens, which contains more than twice as many nutrients. A single serving of Live it Up has 109% DV of vitamin B12 and 78% DV of vitamin K.
#2: Healthy Immune Function
Proper points to antioxidant-rich ingredients such as kale, spinach, broccoli, and alfalfa to back its claim to support healthy immune system function. Antioxidants help neutralize harmful free radicals in the body, aiding in cell repair and immune response.
As with Proper’s overall nutrition and wellness benefits, I don't doubt the evidence supporting this claim. I'm simply not impressed by the ingredient and nutrient quantities provided in each serving, especially compared to other supplements on the market.
#3: Digestive Function
Proper claims to support digestion through a three-pronged approach that includes its prebiotic Fiber Blend, Digestive Enzyme Blend, and probiotics. The fiber blend includes chicory inulin and oligofructose, which are shown to stimulate beneficial bacteria growth in the intestine. It may also help in supporting overall digestive function while easing bloating discomfort.
I see a few potential issues with this approach. First, Proper Greens Daily Boost only contains 1 billion CFU of probiotics, which is on the low side for an effective dosage of probiotics. Bacillus coagulans is also the only probiotic strain included. While this doesn’t reduce the benefit of the probiotic, I’d prefer to see multiple strains. Multi-strain probiotics may provide additional benefits when working together.
Finally, I'm concerned that the first digestive enzyme listed in the ingredients is maltodextrin. This food additive may negatively impact good bacteria in the gut, creating an imbalance in the gut microbiome.
Proper Greens Daily Boost Ingredients Breakdown
Proper uses vegan, non-GMO superfood ingredients across three proprietary blends. I'll break down the contents of each as well as the additional ingredients included in the Daily Boost formula.
Essential Greens Blend
The Greens Blend features whole food greens powders designed to provide vitamins and minerals essential to your daily diet. Some specific ingredients include:
- Barley grass, wheatgrass, apple peel, alfalfa sprouts, and chlorella to support nutrient absorption
- Kale, broccoli, spinach, and spirulina, all rich in antioxidants, support cellular function and repair
- Green cabbage for digestive and immune support
- Organic moringa to support cognitive function
Unfortunately, despite these great ingredients, Daily Boost only includes 1.1 grams of greens per serving. This is a small fraction of an already small serving size, especially when compared to the impressive 7.3 grams of super greens found in Live it Up's formula.
Fiber Blend
Proper's Fiber Blend includes chicory root inulin and oligofructose, which are prebiotics utilized by healthy gut bacteria. Their inclusion here may help support overall digestive health. I'm happy to see that despite a low concentration of greens, Daily Boost still includes a full 3 grams of dietary fiber.
Digestive Enzyme Blend
Proper Greens Daily Boost includes 375 mg of digestive enzymes. While this quantity is impressive, I already mentioned that I’m disappointed to see maltodextrin. While safe for consumption, maltodextrin is considered an additive with possible negative effects on good gut bacteria. This is the opposite of what you'd want to see in a digestive enzyme blend, and since we can't know the exact quantities of each ingredient used, it's concerning that maltodextrin is the most plentiful.
Proper Greens Quality and Safety
For safety and quality standards, this company gets top marks. Proper products are manufactured in a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certified facility. They also undergo third-party testing by ISO-accredited labs to guarantee their safety, purity, and effective performance.
Daily Boost greens is free from gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. These are all standards I like to see a supplement meet, and it puts Proper on par with Live it Up Super Greens for quality control. One potential area to watch is that Proper Greens contains matcha tea powder, which may be a deal breaker for caffeine-sensitive individuals.
Proper Greens Cost Analysis
If you’re considering buying Proper Greens Daily Boost Powder, here’s the price breakdown:
- A 30-day supply costs just $28, or $0.93 per serving.
- With a subscription, the price drops to $25.20, or $0.84 per serving.
- Shipping is only free for orders over $30.
This low cost may seem appealing at first, especially considering that many superfood powders cost more than $1 per serving. However, Proper Greens has a few hidden costs worth considering.
First, shipping fees add $9 to your total unless you choose to buy the product in bulk and spend over $30. Proper does not accept returns of opened products and only accepts returns of unopened products within a 15-day window. In addition, each serving of Proper Greens is only 5.8 grams.
Compare this to Live it Up Super Greens, which has 8-gram scoops at just $1.33 per serving and free shipping on every order. Factoring in shipping makes costs between the two products comparable, while Live it Up's larger servings and denser nutrient profile offer far more bang for your buck.
Proper Greens Taste Review
Proper describes its Greens Daily Boost powder as having a green apple taste that sets it apart from other, more bitter greens superfood powders. It uses monk fruit extract as a natural sweetener in place of sugar or stevia, which I like to see.
However, unlike the light minty sweetness found in a product like Live it Up Super Greens, the Proper Greens superfood powder has a distinct apple flavor that some reviewers have had trouble with.
Others disagree about the green apple flavor, instead likening it to other greens superfood powders.
Proper Greens Daily Boost may have a slightly grainy texture when mixed as suggested, which you can remedy by adding more water.
Why I Recommend Live it Up Super Greens
Proper Greens Daily Boost is made using quality superfoods and gut-healthy ingredients for a solid nutritional profile that supports overall health and wellness.
However, its formula is far weaker than that of Live it Up Super Greens for a few reasons:
- Live it Up's dense nutrient content includes far more organic vegetables, vitamins, and minerals at higher doses.
- Live it Up has a more diverse selection of probiotics for better gut health support and no maltodextrin.
- Live it Up also has a milder, more refreshing taste compared to Proper's distinctly sweet green apple flavor.
I could cut Proper some slack because it comes at a lower price, but when factoring in the cost of shipping and Proper's smaller serving size, the costs are comparable. If you don't like Proper Greens Daily Boost, you can't return it for a refund. Live it Up has a money-back guarantee and a 30-day return window, making it a no-risk way to incorporate greens into your daily routine.
FAQs About Proper Greens Daily Boost
Is Proper Greens powder really worth it?
Proper Greens Daily Boost powder may be worth it to you if you aren't able to get your recommended daily serving of added fiber and greens into your daily routine otherwise.
Greens superfood powders offer a convenient way to consume vital nutrients that you won't get from other foods. Proper Greens Daily Boost does offer some nutrients, though other greens powders have more comprehensive formulas at a comparable price. Plus, depending on the product you choose, you may also get other benefits. For example, Live it Up Super Greens offers digestive support through enzymes, fiber, and probiotics.
What are the disadvantages of Proper Greens powder?
The disadvantages of Proper Greens Daily Boost powder include small serving sizes and a relatively weak formula. Disadvantages of green powders in general vary by product and by the individual taking them. Certain people may experience side effects from consuming greens powders. These may include mild digestive upset, allergic reactions, or sensitivities to ingredients, and interference with medications. Talk to your healthcare provider if you're concerned about these side effects.
Is it bad to take Proper Greens powder every day?
No, it is not bad to take Proper Greens powder every day. On the contrary, most greens powders recommend that you take at least one serving per day, and some even allow for multiple daily servings. They are most commonly consumed in the morning before breakfast to maximize potential nutrient absorption. They can also be used as part of a pre- or post-workout routine.
Are powdered greens healthy?
Whether or not powdered greens are healthy varies by the product. Many greens powders contain superfood ingredients that contain essential vitamins and minerals. Some also provide gut health support through probiotic content. Certain greens powder supplements include caffeine, which may or may not be a benefit depending on your lifestyle and sensitivities.
How long does it take for Proper Greens to kick in?
It takes time for Proper Greens to kick in, just as it does for any superfood powder you may try. When you first start a daily supplement routine, your body will need time to adapt to the formula. You may initially experience mild effects on your energy level or digestion, and you may also experience side effects such as digestive upset. After a few weeks, the positive changes may become more apparent.
References
- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amanda-kloots-launches-proper-a-next-gen-supplement-brand-with-investment-from-the-center-302343706.html
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-wheatgrass-good-for-you
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316623021053
- https://internationalprobiotics.org/home/probiotic-dosage-what-is-adequate/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8070017/
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- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10056680/#sec1-life-13-00753
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