Best Recipes and Ingredients for Lunch Juices

Energy at lunch is nearly as important as energy in the morning. You might have hit that mid-afternoon slump, or maybe your lunch was a bit heavier than you thought it would be. Pairing your standard lunch with an energizing, nutrient-packed juice is a great way to wake up and brighten the rest of your day.

Though caffeine is rarely found in fruits and vegetables, you can easily utilize other sources of energy when making your mid-day and lunch juices. Brassica vegetables, for example, can affect caffeine absorption. A study found that vegetables in the Brassica family can stimulate caffeine metabolism. Similarly, eating cabbage can heighten the effects of caffeine on the body, while foods like carrots and parsley may decrease the effects. Vegetables in the apiaceous family decrease caffeine sensitivity, so avoid putting celery, fennel, dill, parsnips, and carrots into your mid-day juices.

For a quick list of energy-impacting vegetables to put in your lunch juice, see below.

  • Cabbage
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Turnips
  • Collards
  • Kale
  • Bok Choy 

Regular hydration throughout the day is an excellent way to stay awake and alert. Juices are necessarily an excellent source of hydration and water. If you find yourself struggling to stay awake after lunch, making a hydrating juice can be just what you need. Here’s our favorite recipe.

  • 1 large cucumber
  • 8 stalks celery
  • 1 handful kale
  • 1 handful spinach
  • 1 handful parsley
  • ¼ lemon
  • 1-inch piece ginger

This dark green juice is a great source of vitamins and minerals. Cucumber, celery, and spinach clock in at an estimated 90% water, making this the perfect juice for rehydration. Ginger and lemon aid in digestion, allowing you to power through your lunch to the end of the day.