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Health & Fitness

Organic Investing?

Eating healthy can be good for your waistline, but what about your personal bottom line? Eating healthier, sustainability, and being more environmentally aware are trends and themes that have grown from niche markets into wide-ranging trends. The economics of eating better are evident. Healthier people need fewer trips to the doctor, call out sick less from the office, and feel better overall. But how healthy is eating organic for your wallet? I won’t rehash some of the common organic food jokes, i.e., it’s called Whole Foods because it takes your whole paycheck, but what if you could improve your bottom line from healthier eating?

Fortunately, you have options.

Some of the largest and best- known Fortune 500 companies have begun to acquire and develop their own natural food/organic product lines. Pepsi, Kellog, General Mills, Kraft, and Dean Foods are just some of the global conglomerates that have begun entering into the organic food market. The benefits of investing in these global firms are many, and it has the added benefit of also fulfilling a desire to invest in organic food.

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There are, however, options for investors that are looking to invest “exclusively” in organic products and food lines. Obviously, Whole Foods is one of the best-known and dominant organic food stores in the nation. It has fantastic brand recognition, and everyone knows what the business is about, and what is available there. It is also publicly traded. Chipotle, while not a traditional organic food play, consistently stresses its support of using organic and locally-grown food products, including naturally-raised meat (no hormones) whenever possible. Additionally, the food served by the restaurant chain has become very successful.

For those looking for an organic food play that does not have direct interaction with the end consumer and deals primarily with the business institutions, United Natural Foods is certainly something to examine. The firm operates 26 distribution centers that supplies organic and natural food to supermarkets across the country. Besides making various appearances on Mad Money, Hain Celestial is another possible entry point into the organic food market through their various brand offerings. If you are interested in a niche brand as opposed to a portfolio of organic food products, Annie’s is a publicly-traded firm that is known for its organic mac & cheese, and Amy’s is known for its pizza.

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As always, consult with a financial services professional that understands both your personal financial situation and your investment strategy before embarking on an investment strategy.

As always I have attached links with more information.

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