What product is better than Balance of Nature?

December 8, 2025 •

5 min read

In 2023, the FDA ordered Balance of Nature's manufacturer to cease operations due to unsubstantiated health claims and manufacturing violations, raising serious concerns for consumers. As a result, many are now searching for more reliable and transparent alternatives to this widely advertised whole food supplement.

Quick Summary

Several brands offer superior whole food supplements by providing greater ingredient transparency, better pricing, and more comprehensive formulations. Top contenders like Simply Nature's Promise, Live it Up Super Greens, and Juice Plus often include higher potency, third-party testing, and beneficial additives like probiotics or digestive enzymes.

Key Points

Superior Transparency: Alternatives like Live it Up Super Greens provide clear, detailed nutrient information, unlike Balance of Nature's opaque labels.
Better Value: Competitors such as Simply Nature's Promise offer comparable or better formulations at a significantly lower cost per serving.
Third-Party Testing: Many top alternatives are third-party tested and certified, ensuring product quality and freedom from contaminants, a key area where Balance of Nature has been criticized.
Enhanced Formulation: Some competitors, including Live it Up and Garden of Life, include probiotics and digestive enzymes for improved gut health, which Balance of Nature lacks.
Higher Trust & Safety: Following FDA action against Balance of Nature, alternatives with better regulatory compliance and testing protocols offer a more reliable and trustworthy option for consumers.
Capsules vs. Powder: The choice between a powder (e.g., Live it Up) and capsules (e.g., Simply Nature's Promise) allows for a preferred consumption method, addressing a common user complaint about Balance of Nature's numerous large capsules.

Why Look for a Better Alternative to Balance of Nature?

Before exploring alternatives, it's important to understand why many consumers are shifting away from Balance of Nature. Recent regulatory actions and controversies have cast a shadow over the brand's reputation.

FDA Scrutiny: The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters and a consent decree against Balance of Nature's manufacturer for making unapproved drug-like claims and failing to comply with manufacturing regulations.
Lack of Transparency: Balance of Nature does not provide a detailed breakdown of the vitamin and mineral content on its labels, nor does it make its third-party testing certificates publicly available. This makes it difficult for consumers to verify the product's actual nutritional value.
High Cost: Despite its opaque ingredient list and manufacturing issues, Balance of Nature is priced significantly higher than many competitors with similar or better-quality formulations.

Top Alternatives to Balance of Nature

Simply Nature's Promise Simply Fruits & Veggies

This brand is often highlighted as a direct and superior competitor to Balance of Nature. It provides a very similar capsule-based product but at a more affordable price point and with greater corporate transparency.

Key advantages: Lower cost per serving and a less restrictive return policy compared to Balance of Nature. The product is also soy-free, making it a good option for those with allergies.
Ingredients: Contains a blend of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, mirroring Balance of Nature's formula but without the use of soybeans.

Live it Up Super Greens

For those who prefer a greens powder, Live it Up is a dietitian-recommended option that is transparent about its nutrient content. Unlike Balance of Nature's capsules, Live it Up dissolves in water and includes beneficial ingredients like probiotics and digestive enzymes.

Key advantages: Provides full transparency on micronutrient content, a higher potency of active ingredients, and includes gut-friendly probiotics. It is also non-GMO and made with organic ingredients.
Ingredients: A blend of over 20 superfoods, including organic spirulina, chlorella, and a probiotic mix.

Juice Plus+ Fruit & Vegetable Blend

Juice Plus+ is a long-standing and well-researched whole food supplement brand. Clinical trials have often used Juice Plus+ in their research on fruit and vegetable capsules, providing a stronger evidence base than Balance of Nature.

Key advantages: Backed by a history of clinical research, offers a generous 180-day return policy, and is NSF-certified for quality assurance. The daily serving requires fewer capsules than Balance of Nature.
Ingredients: A fruit and vegetable blend that is NSF certified, ensuring quality and safety standards are met.

Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw One Multivitamins

For a more comprehensive option, Garden of Life's Vitamin Code Raw One products offer a capsule alternative that includes a broader range of nutrients, probiotics, and enzymes. These raw, whole-food-based multivitamins are formulated for men and women and provide more detailed nutrient information.

Key advantages: Delivers essential vitamins and minerals alongside raw fruits and vegetables, includes probiotics and enzymes, and offers a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Ingredients: Made from a raw organic fruit and vegetable blend, with nutrients cultured for better absorption.

Comparison Table: Balance of Nature vs. Top Alternatives


Feature	Balance of Nature	Simply Nature's Promise	Live it Up Super Greens	Juice Plus+	Garden of Life Raw One
Form	Capsules (Fruits & Veggies)	Capsules (Fruits & Veggies)	Powder	Capsules (Fruits & Veggies)	Capsules (Multivitamin)
Price	High (e.g., ~$89.95/mo)	Moderate (e.g., ~$59.95/mo)	Moderate (e.g., ~$59.99/mo)	Moderate (e.g., ~$54.00/mo)	Moderate (Pricing varies)
Transparency	Low (no public CoA, no nutrient breakdown)	Good (Third-party tested, soy-free)	Excellent (Transparent nutrient labeling)	Excellent (NSF certified, nutrient facts listed)	Excellent (Detailed nutrient facts)
Gut Support	None explicitly	None explicitly	Yes (Probiotics & enzymes)	None explicitly	Yes (Probiotics & enzymes)
Convenience	6 capsules daily	6 capsules daily	Mixable powder	4 capsules daily	1 capsule daily
Third-Party Testing	Periodic, not transparent	Third-party tested, more transparent	Third-party tested, transparent	NSF Certified	Third-party tested

Factors to Consider When Choosing an Alternative

Prioritize Transparency and Quality Assurance

When selecting any dietary supplement, transparency from the manufacturer is critical. Look for brands that are third-party tested by reputable organizations like NSF International or GMP certified. These certifications provide confidence that the product contains what it claims and is free from contaminants. Publicly available Certificates of Analysis (CoA) are a gold standard for transparency.

Compare Ingredients and Formulations

Go beyond the simple list of fruits and vegetables. Evaluate if the alternative includes additional benefits like probiotics, digestive enzymes, or specific vitamins and minerals that are important for your health goals. Some products may focus on a specific blend (e.g., greens powder), while others may be a more general whole-food multivitamin.

Consider Price and Value

Balance of Nature is not only under scrutiny for its claims but also for its high price. Compare the cost per serving of alternatives. A more affordable option does not necessarily mean lower quality. Brands like Simply Nature's Promise and Live it Up offer superior transparency and formulation at a better value.

Capsule vs. Powder

The delivery method can be a significant factor in personal preference. Some prefer the convenience of swallowing capsules, while others enjoy mixing a powder into a drink or smoothie. Powders, like Live it Up Super Greens, often have the added benefit of including probiotics and digestive enzymes. Conversely, many find the 6 capsules per serving of products like Balance of Nature to be a chore.

Conclusion

While Balance of Nature has long been a prominent name in the whole food supplement market, its recent regulatory issues, lack of transparency, and high price point make several alternatives a better choice for discerning consumers. Brands such as Simply Nature's Promise offer a direct, more affordable capsule replacement, while Live it Up Super Greens provides a highly transparent, nutrient-dense powder with added gut support. For those seeking clinically studied options, Juice Plus+ stands out, and Garden of Life offers a raw, whole-food multivitamin with a broader nutritional profile. Ultimately, by prioritizing transparency, comparing formulations, and considering your personal preferences for delivery and price, you can find a whole food supplement that is a superior choice to Balance of Nature.

Here is an example of an authoritative outbound link describing the FDA's enforcement action against Balance of Nature's manufacturer.

Frequently Asked Questions

The FDA pursued enforcement action against Balance of Nature's manufacturer for making unapproved health claims and violating current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).

While the product contains whole fruits and vegetables, the lack of nutrient transparency and FDA issues mean consumers cannot confidently verify the product's true efficacy or quality. Alternatives with transparent labeling and testing are generally considered more trustworthy.

For those who prefer capsules, Simply Nature's Promise Simply Fruits & Veggies is a direct and more transparent competitor to Balance of Nature. Juice Plus+ is another popular capsule option backed by research.

Live it Up Super Greens is a strong choice for gut health as it includes a probiotic blend and digestive enzymes, which are not present in Balance of Nature.

Greens powders like Live it Up are easily mixed into drinks and often contain probiotics and digestive enzymes, while capsules like Simply Nature's Promise are more convenient for on-the-go consumption, though some may find swallowing multiple pills a hassle.

No, whole food supplements should not replace a healthy, balanced diet of fresh produce. While they can help fill nutritional gaps, they do not provide the same fiber and nutrient matrix as whole foods.

Yes, several alternatives offer better value. For example, Simply Nature's Promise and Live it Up Super Greens are priced lower per serving and often provide greater transparency and additional ingredients.