5 Best Food Stocks To Own Right Now

D. Sharon Pruitt, Source: Flickr.

There a few holidays quite like Thanksgiving. I mean when else do we regularly get a day off toward the middle of the work week, surround ourselves with family and friends, and gorge ourselves with a dozen different types of food until our pants no longer fit? And for me, as a sports lover, I get to watch my Detroit Lions play, which has become a Thanksgiving Day tradition.

But Thanksgiving also has its negative connotation for being the holiday, or the start of the holiday season, that tends to pack on unwanted pounds for millions of Americans. It's no surprise that New Year's resolutions commonly entail losing the weight put on during the roughly five- or six-week holiday season, which begins on Thanksgiving.

With 35.7% of the nation considered obese already according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two-thirds of the nation considered overweight or obese according to standard Body Mass Index calculations, and the obesity officially classified as a disease by the American Medical Association, obesity awareness is growing right along with our waistlines. Thankfully, the number of companies creating product lines, services, or drugs to help us battle the bulge this holiday season is also increasing.

Top 10 Managed Healthcare Companies For 2015: Carrefour SA (CRERF)

Carrefour SA is a France-based company that is primarily engaged in retail distribution sector. The Company operates a network of hypermarkets, supermarkets, hard discount stores, convenience stores and cash-and-carry outlets and offers e-commerce services. The Company's hypermarkets named Carrefour offer a range of food and non-food products. Carrefour SA�� hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores are operating under the Carrefour city, Carrefour contact, Carrefour express, 8aHuit, Shopi, Marche Plus, Proxi banners and cash & carry stores are operating under the Promocash banner, which primarily offer food, clothing and household goods, among others. The Company operates in mainland France and French overseas territories, as well as in Europe, Asia, Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East through a network of consolidated and franchised stores, and stores that Carrefour SA runs with partner companies. In January 2014, it acquired 129 convenience stores. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sophia Yan]

  Carrefour (CRERF) has also shuttered many stores, and is reported to be exploring a sale of its China and Taiwan businesses.

  Hypermarkets -- big box stores that combine supermarkets and department stores -- first opened up in China's largest cities over a decade ago. And it's no wonder companies such as Wal-Mart have been keen to get a slice of the market.

5 Best Food Stocks To Own Right Now: Canada Bread Company Ltd (CBY)

Canada Bread Company, Limited is a manufacturer and marketer of flour-based products in its various markets, including fresh bread in Canada, frozen partially baked bread in the United States and Canada, specialty bakery products, including fresh pasta and sauces, sweet goods and snack cakes in Canada, and bagels, croissants and other specialty baked goods in the United Kingdom. It operates in two segments: Fresh Bakery business includes pantry breads, rolls, flatbreads, artisan breads, sweet goods and snack cakes sold under a number of brands, including Dempster��, Villaggio, POM, Bon Matin and Ben��, and Frozen Bakery segment consists of frozen par-baked bakery products sold in North America and the United Kingdom bakery business, which specializes in bagels, croissants, and specialty breads. In November 2013, the Company clearanced and closed the sale of Olivieri Foods, to Ebro Foods SA. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Gerrit De Vynck]

  The Toronto-based food producer, which owns 90 percent of Canada Bread Co. (CBY), said in October it would explore options for the stake, including a possible sale as it divests assets to focus on its meat business. With several suitors evaluating the company, a sale is looking more likely, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private. Maple Leaf hired Centerview Partners LLC and Royal Bank of Canada to look for buyers, the people said.

5 Best Food Stocks To Own Right Now: Pinnacle Foods Inc (PF)

Pinnacle Foods Inc., incorporated on July 28, 2003, is a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of branded food products in North America. The Company operates in three segments: the Birds Eye Frozen Division, the Duncan Hines Grocery Division and the Specialty Foods Division. The Birds Eye Frozen Division and the Duncan Hines Grocery Division, which collectively represent its North America Retail operations, include the brands. Its brand portfolio enjoys household penetration in the United States, where its products can be found in approximately 85% of U.S. households. Its products are sold through supermarkets, grocery wholesalers and distributors, mass merchandisers, super centers, convenience stores, dollar stores, drug stores and warehouse clubs in the United States and Canada, as well as in military channels and foodservice locations. On June 24, 2011, the Company completed the sale of its Watsonville, California facility which had been recorded as an asset held for sale.

Birds Eye Frozen Division

The Company�� Birds Eye Frozen Division includes its steamed and non-steamed product offerings, with a 27.0% market share, making Birds Eye the recognized frozen vegetables brand in the United States. Birds Eye was the Company to capture a nationwide market share with a product that enables consumers to conveniently steam vegetables in microwaveable packaging.

Duncan Hines Grocery Division

Duncan Hines is the division�� brand and includes cake mixes, ready-to-serve frostings, brownie mixes, muffin mixes, and cookie mixes. During the fiscal year ended September 23, 2012, the Company added two additional items to the line. In February 2012, the Company introduced a line of frosting products, Duncan Hines Frosting Creations, which uses a patent pending frosting system to allow consumers to customize their frosting into one of 12 different flavors. The Company also offers a complete line of shelf-stable pickle products that we market and distribute n! ationally, primarily under the Vlasic brand, and regionally under the Milwaukee�� and Wiejske Wyroby brands. In 2012, the Company introduced Vlasic Farmers Garden, artisan-quality pickle line.

Specialty Foods Division

The Company�� snack products primarily consist of Tim�� Cascade, Snyder of Berlin and Husman��. These direct store delivery brands have local awareness and hold market share positions in their regional markets. The Company also manufactures and distributes certain products, mainly in the frozen breakfast, canned meat, and pie and pastry fruit filling categories, through food service channels. The Company also manufactures and distributes certain private label products in the canned meat, shelf-stable pickles and frozen seafood. As part of its ongoing strategic focus over the last several years, the Company has deemphasized the food service and private label businesses for the benefit of its higher margin branded food products.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Branded food products distributor Pinnacle Foods (PF) raised its dividend 16.7% to 21 cents per share, payable on Jan. 10 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 2.
  PF Dividend Yield: 2.95%

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Tyson’s bid came just a couple of days after Hillshire Brands received a bid from Pilgrim’s Pride (PPC), and while it seems like ancient history now, Hillshire made its own bid for Pinnacle Foods (PF) earlier this month. Pilgrim’s Pride dropped 1.1% to $25.09 today, while poor jilted Pinnacle Foods gained 1% to $31.68.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  The biggest new holdings are Canadian Pacific Railway�and Allstate. Other new holdings of interest include Pinnacle Foods (NYSE: PF  ) and Eaton (NYSE: ETN  ) . Pinnacle Foods debuted via an IPO earlier this year, and soon after, initiated�a dividend, which yields about 2.8%. Its brands�include Birds Eye, Aunt Jemima, Hungry-Man, Van de Kamp's, Armour, Lender's, Mrs. Paul's, Vlasic, Log Cabin, Mrs. Butterworth, and Duncan Hines, among others. With the company carrying significant debt, it's reasonable that some worry about its interest in acquiring Unilever's�Wish-Bone salad dressing brand and Del Monte Foods' canned foods.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Diamond's new hire was most recently CFO of privately held Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company. Before that, he filled the same role with a number of firms, including Cott and Swift & Company. Silcock launched his career at Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB  ) in 1979. He currently serves on the board of directors of Pinnacle Foods (NYSE: PF  ) .

5 Best Food Stocks To Own Right Now: Post Holdings Inc (POST)

Post Holdings, Inc., incorporated on September 22, 2011, is a holding company. The Company is a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of branded ready-to-eat cereals in the United States and Canada. The Company�� portfolio of brands includes Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, Great Grains, Grape-Nuts, Shredded Wheat, Raisin Bran, Golden Crisp, Alpha-Bits and Honeycomb. It markets and sells ready-to-eat cereal products in three different categories: sweetened, balanced and unsweetened. Its sweetened products include Pebbles, Honeycomb, Golden Crisp, Alpha-Bits and Waffle Crisp. Its balanced products include Honey Bunches of Oats, Post Selects, Great Grains and Shreddies. The Company�� unsweetened products include Post Shredded Wheat, Post Raisin Bran and Grape-Nuts. Effective January 1, 2014, the Company announced it has completed the acquisition of private label pasta manufacturer Dakota Growers Pasta Company, Inc. Effective January 2, 2014, Post Holdings Inc acquired Agricore United Holdings Inc from Viterra Inc, a unit of Glencore Xstrata PLC, and the transaction also included Dakota Growers Pasta Company, Inc. Effective January 1, 2014, Post Holdings Inc acquired Dymatize Enterprises LLC, a Farmers Branch-based manufacturer and wholesaler of nutrition supplement. Effective January 1, 2014, it acquired Dymatize Enterprises LLC and Golden Boy Foods Ltd.

Honey Bunches of Oats is in the ready-to-eat cereal market. The Company�� Pebbles brands include Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles. The products are manufactured through a flexible production platform consisting of four owned primary facilities and sold through a variety of channels, such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and drug stores.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt Brownell]

  General MillsFrute Brute and Yummy Mummy will return to the shelves this fall with an updated look. The Mummy rises again. That would be Fruity Yummy Mummy, to be exact. The "monster cereal" was discontinued by General Mills back in 1992, but the company announced this week that it will bring it back for Halloween. Another discontinued cereal, Frute Brute, will also rise again for the first time since it left shelves back in 1982. They'll join three other monster cereals that still haunt the shelves: Frankenberry, Boo Berry and Count Chocula. (Count Chocula, like its namesake, is evidently immortal.) But all five will receive updated box art to reflect a more modern cartoon style than the original 1970s versions. (Think less "Superfriends," more "Frankenweenie.") For fans of the original look, though, we've got good news: Target (TGT) will exclusively carry "retro" packaging of the cereals, which are sure to become collector's items and flood eBay (EBAY) in the months to come. General Mills says the cereals will roll out select retailers "soon," with nationwide distribution coming in early September. Unfortunately, the company says it will be a "seasonal, limited time run," so we recommend stocking up if you find yourself falling in love with Fruit Brute all over again. Here's hoping that this starts a trend of General Mills (GIS), Post (POST) and other companies bringing back their old discontinued cereals. My favorite cereal growing up was Big Mix, which had raisins and panoply of grains, and whose mascot was some unholy creature combining the features of a moose, wolf, chicken and pig. And who could forget such discontinued classics as French Toast Crunch or Pop-Tarts Crunch? If you feel like taking a walk down memory lane, let us know in the comments which discontinued cereal you'd love to eat again.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Post Holdings (NYSE: POST  ) reported earnings on May 13. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q2), Post Holdings missed estimates on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.