The approach of spring inspires renewed dedication among fitness enthusiasts everywhere—and, inevitably, a whole lot of sponsored ads from Instagram influencers pushing nutrition products to help you achieve them. That includes green powders from companies like Beachbody, Athletic Greens, and Amazing Grass, which promise to “deliver key minerals and vital phytonutrients,” help “overcome nutrient deficiencies,” and make you “feel amazing every day,” all by you simply mixing some of their product with water.

Which, sure. Who doesn’t want to feel amazing every day, especially if all it takes is powder, water, and a shaker bottle to combine the two? “Green powders are basically broken-down vitamins, minerals, and other components of vegetables,” says Miami-based nutritionist and dietician Julie Rothenberg. “Some of them include other enzymes and probiotics.”

Green powders are not, however, just broccoli on steroids that you don’t have to cook. “When you think about the benefits that come with having fruits and vegetables, you’re getting vitamins and nutrients and phytonutrients,” explains Rothenberg. “You’re also getting water and fiber, and when you use these green powders to replace vegetables, you’re not getting any fiber.” In other words: Be wary of using these products in lieu of actual food. You still have veggies to eat.

When shopping for a green powder, first take a look at what is actually in them, and if you see any mention of “proprietary blend” on the label, set it back down on the shelf. FDA regulations require manufacturers to list out all of the ingredients in a given product, but the “proprietary blend” loophole doesn’t require the company to list out the amount of said ingredient—which means you may have a vague sense of what you're putting into your body, but no idea as to how much. “Anything that has any sort of dye or coloring or additive—those are things that you’d want to steer clear of, too,” says Rothenberg. “Really, anything you can’t pronounce.”

For companies that are more transparent, it’s equally important to look critically at the amount of any active ingredient when making a decision. In that regard, some green powders can vary drastically. Take Amazing Grass’s Organic Supergreens Powder, for example. “When you actually look at the ingredients, you’re not really getting that much of a boost of anything but vitamin K,” explains Rothenberg. “Even the amount of vitamin C—which is pretty heavy in many green vegetables—is only four percent of your daily need. To me, that says you’re not getting that much of a benefit from these things.” A serving of the company's similarly named Green Superfood powder, by contrast, contains 57 percent of your recommended daily vitamin C allowance.

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Other products skew in the opposite direction. One serving of Athletic Greens’s Ultimate Daily, for example, contains 100 percent or more of the recommended daily allowance of ten different nutrients—but more doesn’t automatically mean better. “That’s almost like taking a mega-multivitamin,” says Rothenberg. “It probably has more of an effect than taking something with just four percent of your daily vitamin C allowance, but blasting yourself with a large amount of vitamins doesn’t mean you’re absorbing all of them.” As the old adage goes, too much of anything is...usually too much.

Another cautionary note: If you’re looking for something you can convince yourself is actually a flavorful treat—like your favorite protein powders—green powders...are not that. I found that the Ultimate Daily powder easily dissolves in water, which is a concern with any supplement, and smells vaguely of mint and chocolate. The first gulp wasn’t bad, but it proceeded to get worse with every sip after that, and the mint chocolate aroma quickly turned into what I can only describe as "repotted plant." I made it halfway through a 10-ounce glass before throwing the rest down the drain.

My mistake, in retrospect, was mixing the powder with water as a standalone drink, instead of blending it in a smoothie—where, as Rothenberg points out, fruits could act as a natural sweetener to help disguise the taste. “If I was going to use a green powder, I would make sure I’m having a smoothie that has strawberries and blueberries,” she says. “That would taste a lot better than just green powder with liquid itself.”

This is where Beachbody’s Power Greens, in theory, could earn a leg up on the competition: It is intended as an added boost to their Shakeology line of supplements, which consists of several tasty flavors like Strawberry and Café Latte. The downside: Power Greens costs an additional $34.95 on top of Shakeology’s ridiculous $129.95 price tag, which somehow does not include shipping and handling. At that point, you might be better off taking your multivitamin, making a real-life salad, and spending your hard-earned money on something else. You know, like a gym membership.