This creamy sunflower seed dressing is one of my favorite ways to offer a nut-free option without sacrificing richness or flavor. Sunflower seeds blend into a silky, ranch-style dressing that’s beautiful over crisp romaine, tender spring greens, or even folded into a picnic potato salad. With a little less water, it turns into a luscious dip for carrots, celery, or cucumber sticks—simple nourishment you can feel good about. Because the base is made from soaked raw sunflower seeds, the dressing stays fresh, vibrant, and full of living enzymes. A quick overnight soak works beautifully! Just cover the seeds with filtered water before bed, and they’ll be ready for blending the next day. If you’re preparing the dressing for dinner, starting the soak around lunchtime is perfect.

I received an email last weekend from someone who has our book and also has a toddler about the same age as our twin boys (who are 15 months now). She was asking about snacks to take on outings and play dates. I replied to her and mentioned the obvious for us: green smoothies, nori, rice cakes, fresh fruit.