Recipes from The Hunger Crushing Combo Method by Abbey Sharp, RD. Copyright © 2026by Abbey Sharp, RD. Featured with permission of Balance Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. All rights reserved.
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Apple Pie Baked Protein French Toast
Imagine maple drenched French toast and cinnamony apple pie had a baby, but it was miraculously born with a whopping 27 grams of blood sugar balancing protein. This Apple Pie Baked Protein French Toast is just what brunch dreams are made of packed with hearty sourdough, crisp apples and crunchy pecans.
Serves 6
Vegetarian, Dairy Free (Option), Soy Free (Option), Gluten Free (Option), Vegan (Option), Nut Free (Option)
Ingredients
- 8 slices (about 375-400 grams) whole grain sourdough, torn into pieces
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups cow, soy, or pea milk
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder (pea or whey)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 large apple, diced
- 2 oz pecan halves
For serving:
- 1 cup 4% plain Greek or Soy yogurt
- Maple syrup, if desired
Directions
- Lightly grease a 9x12” baking sheet with nonstick spray. Add the bread and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, protein powder, maple syrup, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Pour the mixture over the bread and soak well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Sprinkle the apple pieces and pecan halves over the bread and press firmly down into the bread pieces. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to set up for 5 minutes before serving as desired with yogurt, extra pecans and/or maple syrup.
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Cover the french toast with plastic wrap or store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Rewarm in the microwave for 30 seconds or in the oven at 350 F for 8-10 minutes.
- To freeze, bake in a freezer-safe container, cover with plastic wrap and foil. Reheat from frozen at 350 F for 20-25 minutes until browned.
Recipe swaps:
- Switch up the protein powder flavour.
- You can use a cup of cartoned egg whites in place of whole eggs.
- Make it vegan with plant-based egg replacement, alternative milk, and pea- based protein powder instead of whey.
- You can change up the bread and use a high-fibre multigrain loaf, or try a pear in place of the apple.
- You can also make it gluten-free using your favorite hearty gluten- free bread (just make sure to let it get a little stale first).
- Replace the pecans with pumpkin seeds for a nut-free option.
Big Mac Burger Bowl
I’m generally an “eat with my hands” kinda girl, but this Big Mac Burger Bowl is worth pulling out a fork. Loaded up with all the fixings you know and love in your go-to drive-through order, with a bountiful high fiber base.
Serves 4
Gluten Free, Nut Free, Soy Free, Vegetarian (Option), Vegan (Option), Dairy Free (Option)
Ingredient
Meat and Potatoes:
- 3 cups baby new potatoes
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- Fleur de sel
Special Sauce:
- 1.5 tablespoons plain 4% Greek yogurt
- 1.5 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoons pickle juice
- 1/2 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
Salad:
- 8 cups romaine lettuce, finely shredded
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup pickled onion or fresh red onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup sliced dill pickles
- ¼ cup old cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 large avocado, diced
Directions
- Add the potatoes to a large pot. Fill with water until the potatoes are covered by an inch of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10-18 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them cool. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into ½ inch or ¼ inch pieces depending upon the size of the potatoes. Set aside.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat to the pan and break it up into little pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula. Season with the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, ¼ tsp pepper and kosher salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is cooked through, about 7-9 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the cooked potatoes to the pan. Allow to brown for 3-5 minutes, and sprinkle with the remaining black pepper and salt.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayo, ketchup, mustard, pickle juice, and fresh dill. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
- To build your bowl, divide the romaine between four bowls. Add the potatoes, meat mixture and other veggies. Drizzle with a couple spoonfuls of sauce and enjoy warm.
Make-Ahead Tip:
- Meal prep by preparing the sauce and cooking the meat and potatoes up to 4 days in advance. Assemble the salad when you’re ready to eat.
- Pro Tip: Make an extra-big batch of the special sauce for throwing on sandwiches, wraps, salads, and actual burgers (and no, you don’t have to hollow out the bun).
Recipe Swaps:
- Replace the beef with lean ground turkey or chicken, or make it vegetarian by using lentils, coarsely grated tofu or tempeh, or veggie “meat.”
- Use sweet potatoes in place of new potatoes and switch up the salad ingredients with bell peppers, cucumber, steamed green beans, and arugula.
- Go for blue cheese or chèvre, or add pimiento- stuffed olives for a salty bite.
- You can also go dairy-free by swapping in plant- based cheese and yogurt.
Cheesy Savoury Muffins
These savoury cheese & broccoli muffins are the perfect poppable stand-in for when you’re feeling like “meal food”, but don’t have the bandwidth (or appetite) to make and eat an actual meal. They’re soft and tender on the inside, and crunchy and crackly on top, with loads of cheesy flavour.
Makes 12 muffins
Vegetarian, Soy free, Gluten Free (Option)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup whole milk cottage cheese
- 2/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
- 1 cup fine almond flour
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 cup grated broccoli crown (from one head of broccoli)
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- Fleur de sel or maldon salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with 12 muffin liners or silicone baking cups, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until fully combined and fluffy.
- Whisk in the cottage cheese and cheddar cheese.
- Switch to a spatula and mix in the almond flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and broccoli until well combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin cups until they are about ¾ of the way full. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese, chopped fresh thyme and a pinch of fleur de sel on top of each muffin. Bake for 25-28 minutes, until golden brown and set in the center. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Make-Ahead Tip:
- Cool completely after baking then transfer to an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Recipe Swaps:
- Add finely diced turkey breast or chicken sausage to pump up the protein, flavour, and texture.
- Ditch the broccoli in favour of mushrooms, potatoes, or sun-dried tomatoes, or add a couple of spoonfuls of ground flaxseed to the batter.
- You can also make them gluten-free by using gluten-free flour in place of whole wheat.
- Try folding in some sliced olives for a more sophisticated, savoury flavour.
German Cake Black Bean Brownie Bites
I know that the idea of putting beans in your brownies sounds like the most diet-y thing ever, but you will be shocked at how fudgy and dense our beloved magical fruits make these mini noms. Rich cocoa and chocolate chips get combined with toasty coconut and nutty pecans in a bite size bean-based brownie with big benefits. It’s the ultimate staff room snack flex that you won’t want to share.
Makes 24 balls (nutrition per ball)
Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten free, Dairy Free, Soy Free
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup fine almond flour
- 1 19 oz can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed well
- ¼ cup natural almond butter
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ cup mini dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
- ¼ cup finely minced or ground pecans
Directions
- In a food processor, combine the cocoa powder, almond flour, black beans, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate for an hour before rolling into 24 balls.
- Combine the coconut and pecans on a plate or a shallow bowl.
- Roll the batter into 24 balls then roll in the coconut-pecan mixture. Put them back in the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy with a big cold glass of soy or cow’s milk.
Make-Ahead Tips:
- To store, transfer to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
- To freeze, transfer to a freezer safe container or bag between layers of parchment paper for up to 3 months.
Recipe Swaps:
- Boost protein even more by replacing the cocoa powder with chocolate protein powder.
- For an extra fibre-boost, mix in a big handful of chia or flaxseeds.
- Switch up the nut butter with whatever you have on hand, or add a handful of hemp hearts to the coating for a bit of omega-3 fats.