Balance of Nature Vs. Juice Plus: Which One Is Better?

I know the struggle of staring at empty vegetable drawers and feeling guilty about your diet. You want a quick fix that isn’t full of synthetic junk, which leads you right to the heavy hitters: Balance of Nature and Juice Plus.

I have used both to see if they actually deliver on their promises of energy and health or if they are just expensive dust in a bottle. This article breaks down my honest experience, the real costs, and which one actually deserves a spot in your daily routine.

A Brief Comparison Table

My Experience With Balance of Nature

I started with Balance of Nature because the ads are frankly everywhere.

The idea of getting ten servings of fruits and vegetables in just a few seconds sounded fantastic for my busy mornings.

My package arrived quickly, and I immediately noticed the bottles were simple and lightweight.

The “Fruits” bottle smelled surprisingly good, like a mix of dried berries, while the “Veggies” bottle had a distinct, earthy, almost savory scent that reminded me of vegetable soup mix.

Swallowing six capsules a day felt like a lot initially.

I usually took them with lunch because taking them on an empty stomach made me feel a bit queasy, which is common with concentrated fiber. After about two weeks, I did notice a subtle shift in my afternoon energy. I wasn’t crashing as hard around 3 PM, and my digestion felt more regular, likely due to the fiber content. However, I didn’t experience the “life-changing” burst of vitality some testimonials claim. It felt like a solid nutritional safety net, but at nearly $90 for a one-time purchase, I found myself counting the cost with every swallow.

Pros Of Balance of Nature

• Whole Food Integrity: One of the biggest selling points is that there are absolutely no additives, fillers, or synthetic vitamins in these capsules. You are getting flash-dried, crushed produce and nothing else. This is a massive pro if you are a purist who believes nature packages nutrients better than a lab ever could. It feels good knowing you aren’t ingesting hidden preservatives or anti-caking agents that often sneak into cheaper supplements.
• Flexibility of Consumption: I loved that you can actually open these capsules and sprinkle them onto food. If you hate swallowing pills, this is a game-changer. The fruit powder tastes great in oatmeal or yogurt, adding a berry-like tartness. The veggie powder can be hidden in soups or sprinkled over a salad for an extra nutrient kick. This versatility makes it much easier to get into children or picky eaters who would never eat a plate of broccoli.
• Simple Subscription Model: Unlike some competitors that lock you into long contracts, Balance of Nature operates on a more standard monthly subscription model. You can pause or cancel without feeling like you signed a mortgage. Their “Preferred Customer” program drops the price significantly (around $20 off), which makes the high price tag slightly more digestible. Plus, the 30-day money-back guarantee gave me the confidence to try it without fear of losing my money if I hated it.
• No “Added” Vitamins: This might sound counterintuitive, but for many, this is a benefit. Many supplements pump their products full of cheap synthetic Vitamin C or B12 to make the label look impressive. Balance of Nature relies solely on the nutrients naturally occurring in the produce. This reduces the risk of hypervitaminosis (getting too much of a certain vitamin) if you are already taking a multivitamin or have a nutrient-rich diet.

Cons Of Balance of Nature

• High Dosage Requirement: Taking six capsules every single day is a chore. The recommended dose is three fruit capsules and three veggie capsules. If you also take their Fiber & Spice supplement, the pill count goes up even higher. For someone with a sensitive gag reflex or pill fatigue, staring at a handful of capsules every morning can become a barrier to consistency. I found myself skipping days simply because I didn’t want to swallow that many pills.
• Proprietary Blends hide quantities: While we know what is in the bottle (apples, broccoli, kale, etc.), we don’t know how much. The label lists a “Proprietary Blend,” which means they aren’t required to disclose the exact milligram amount of each specific ingredient. You might be getting mostly apple powder and very little tart cherry, or mostly carrots and very little spinach. Without transparency, it is hard to judge if you are truly getting the “value” of the expensive ingredients.
• Cost vs. Quantity: There is no way around it; this product is expensive. At roughly $70 to $90 a month, you are paying a premium for the convenience of encapsulation. Critics often point out that you could buy a significant amount of fresh, organic produce for that same amount of money. If you are on a tight budget, this supplement is likely the first thing you will have to cut, as it costs as much as a gym membership or a utility bill.
• Aggressive Marketing and Sales: My experience with their customer service and marketing was a bit overwhelming. Once they have your phone number, they are very persistent. While the customer service agents are friendly, the upsell pressure to add the “Fiber & Spice” blend or get on the recurring shipment plan is high. Some users have reported that cancelling requires a phone call rather than a simple click online, which adds friction to the exit process.

Also read: My Thoughts On Lonvera Grass Fed Beef Liver Capsules

Maintenance Tips For Balance of Nature

• Keep moisture out: These capsules are filled with dried powder, which makes them incredibly hygroscopic—they love to absorb water. If you live in a humid climate or leave the bottle open in the bathroom while showering, the powder inside can clump and harden. Always screw the cap on tight immediately after use. I kept mine in the kitchen cupboard away from the stove steam to ensure they stayed dry and loose.
• Don’t refrigerate unless necessary: Unlike some probiotics or liquids, you generally do not need to refrigerate Balance of Nature. In fact, taking a cold bottle out into warm room air can cause condensation inside the bottle, which ruins the pills. Store them in a cool, dark place like a pantry. The only exception is if you live in an extremely hot environment without air conditioning; in that case, the fridge might be safer, but be quick when opening the bottle.
• Create a routine with food: Since the recommendation is six pills, do not try to take them all at once on an empty stomach with just a sip of coffee. I found the best maintenance routine was to split the dose: take the three fruit capsules with breakfast (they pair well with morning flavors) and the three veggie capsules with lunch. This spreads out the fiber intake and prevents that heavy feeling in your stomach, making it easier to stick to the habit long-term.

My Experience With Juice Plus

Juice Plus feels different from the moment you order. It operates through a direct sales model (often sold by distributors), and the commitment is distinct. You aren’t just buying a bottle; you are signing up for a 4-month supply that is billed in monthly installments. When my boxes arrived, I had the “Orchard” and “Garden” blends. The branding feels a bit more clinical and established, perhaps due to their long history in the market.

The daily intake is four capsules (two of each), which felt much more manageable than Balance of Nature’s six. The capsules are standard size and went down easily. I noticed that Juice Plus emphasizes their clinical research heavily, which gave me a bit of a placebo boost thinking, “Science says this works.” Over the course of a month, my skin actually looked a bit clearer—something I didn’t notice with Balance of Nature. However, the billing structure was annoying. Knowing I was locked in for four months made me feel a bit trapped, even though the monthly cost was technically lower than Balance of Nature.

Pros Of Juice Plus

• NSF Certification: This is a massive advantage for Juice Plus. The product is NSF Certified for Sport, which means it has been rigorously tested by a third party to ensure it contains exactly what the label says and is free of banned substances or contaminants. For athletes or anyone paranoid about heavy metals and impurities in supplements, this seal of approval provides peace of mind that Balance of Nature simply doesn’t offer.
• Clinical Research Backing: Juice Plus has funded numerous clinical studies over the decades. While skeptics argue that company-funded research can be biased, the sheer volume of studies published in peer-reviewed journals regarding heart health, immune system support, and DNA protection is impressive. It adds a layer of credibility that moves the product beyond just “ground-up veggies” to a scientifically supported supplement.
• Added Nutrients for Efficacy: Unlike Balance of Nature, Juice Plus does fortify their blends with some natural vitamins (often from plant sources like acerola cherry or algae) to ensure consistent nutrient levels. This means you are guaranteed a specific amount of Vitamin C, E, and Folate in every serving. You aren’t leaving your nutrient intake up to the natural variance of a harvest; you know exactly what you are getting to support your immune system.
• Cheaper Monthly Cost: If you look at the monthly outflow of cash, Juice Plus is friendlier to the wallet. At around $54 a month, it is significantly cheaper than the $90 (or $70 subscription) of Balance of Nature. If you are planning to take supplements long-term anyway, the 4-month lock-in actually works in your favor by securing a lower price point for a high-quality product.

Cons Of Juice Plus

• The 4-Month Commitment: This is the biggest complaint for new users. You cannot simply buy one bottle to “try it out.” You are technically purchasing a 4-month supply, and even though they bill you monthly, you are on the hook for the full amount unless you navigate a potentially awkward cancellation process. It requires a level of commitment that feels outdated in the age of Amazon “buy once” convenience.
• MLM Structure: Juice Plus is a Multi-Level Marketing company. This means you often have to buy through a distributor, which can lead to social pressure. If your neighbor or friend sold it to you, you might feel guilty cancelling. The sales tactics can sometimes feel pushy, and the internet is full of “Hey hun!” stories. If you prefer a faceless transaction with a corporation, the social aspect of Juice Plus might be a turn-off.
• Use of Fillers/Added Vitamins: While I listed added nutrients as a pro, it is also a con for the “whole food only” crowd. Juice Plus contains ingredients like calcium carbonate and other stabilizers to help form the capsule and maintain shelf life. If your goal is to eat only powdered food with zero additives, Juice Plus fails that strict purity test compared to Balance of Nature’s simpler ingredient list.
• Lower Variety in Base Blends: The standard Juice Plus duo (Orchard and Garden) focuses on a core group of fruits and vegetables, but the variety seems slightly less “exotic” than Balance of Nature’s claimed 31 ingredients. To get the full spectrum of berries, you often have to buy an additional “Berry Blend,” which increases the cost and the number of pills you have to swallow, complicating the simple two-bottle system.

Also read: My Thoughts On Sunday Riley Retinol

Maintenance Tips For Juice Plus

• Manage your shipment dates: Since Juice Plus ships in large batches (usually a 4-month supply at once), you will have a lot of bottles sitting around. The danger here is forgetting to cancel or delay your next shipment if you haven’t finished the first batch. I recommend setting a calendar alert 10 days before your next scheduled billing/shipping date. This gives you time to call customer service and adjust the delivery so you don’t end up with a cupboard full of expiring capsules.
• Keep the “spare” bottles sealed: You will likely receive multiple bottles of each blend in one shipment. Do not break the safety seals on the backup bottles until you are ready to use them. Oxygen is the enemy of antioxidants. By keeping the factory seal intact, you preserve the potency of the vitamins inside. Store the extras in a dark closet, not on the kitchen counter where sunlight can hit them daily.
• Travel with a pill organizer: The Juice Plus bottles are quite large and bulky compared to the number of pills inside. If you travel, do not haul the whole bottles. Because the daily dose is smaller (4 pills), it fits easily into a standard weekly pill organizer. This ensures you don’t miss doses while on the road, which is crucial because consistency is the only way to see the skin and immune benefits these products claim.

Comparison with other brands

• Texas Superfood: This is often the “middle ground” competitor. Texas Superfood offers a similar fruit and veg powder concept but often at a slightly lower price point than Balance of Nature. However, user reviews frequently mention that the taste of the raw powder (if you buy the loose bag) is grassy and difficult to mask. Unlike Juice Plus’s clinical backing or Balance of Nature’s intense marketing, Texas Superfood relies on a “raw food” appeal, often including algae and enzymes that the others miss.
• Athletic Greens (AG1): AG1 is the heavyweight champion of the “all-in-one” drink space. Unlike the capsules of JP and BoN, AG1 is a powder you mix with water. It is significantly more comprehensive, containing probiotics, adaptogens, and a multivitamin complex. However, it is also much more expensive and has a distinct “green” taste that many struggle with. If you want a one-and-done solution and don’t mind drinking your greens, AG1 offers more nutritional bang for your buck than mere fruit/veg capsules.
• Live It Up (formerly Enso Supergreens): This is a rising star for those who want the Balance of Nature benefits without the capsule fatigue. It is a powder that focuses on digestion and bloating, using local sourcing. It is generally cheaper than both BoN and JP. The main difference is the delivery method; if you absolutely need capsules, Live It Up isn’t for you. But if you want a tasty green drink that doesn’t taste like dirt, it’s a strong alternative to the capsule brands.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

Choosing between Balance of Nature and Juice Plus ultimately comes down to your personality type and lifestyle. If you are a “whole food purist” who wants absolute simplicity—just fruits and vegetables dried and put in a capsule with zero additives—Balance of Nature is your winner. It is flexible, easy to pause, and offers a true food experience, albeit at a premium price.

However, if you are value-conscious and want the peace of mind that comes with third-party testing and clinical trials, Juice Plus is the smarter buy. The monthly cost is lower, the NSF certification is a gold standard for safety, and the added nutrients ensure you are actually hitting vitamin targets. Personally, I found the 4-capsule routine of Juice Plus easier to stick to than the 6-capsule regimen of Balance of Nature, but I missed the ability to just cancel anytime. Whichever you choose, remember that these are supplements to a bad diet, not a replacement for a good one.