Sunflower seeds have a mild, nutty flavor that makes them ideal for salads, cereals, baked goods and snacks. They can be used as a substitute for other nuts or seeds, such as in salads to replace pine nuts or in cereal to replace almonds. However, compared to other nuts such as walnuts or Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds have lower fat and protein content and therefore cannot be used as a substitute in certain recipes based on these nutrients.