This post is part of a seven article report -- Food for thought: Best bets in food & beverage stocks.

"The J.M. Smucker Company (NYSE: SJM) is 'one sweet stock'," says growth stock expert Jonas Elmerraji. Here, the editor of The Rhino Stock Report looks at the consumer foods firm.

"The peanut butter and jelly sandwich has been a staple of our diets here in the U.S. for a long time now. In fact, one survey estimated that the average American eats 1,500 PB&J sandwiches before graduating high school.

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL) is a new buy from Nilus Mattive. The editor of Dividend Superstars states, "The time is right to add this great consumer products firm to our portfolio."

"Colgate-Palmolive is a company you undoubtedly know. It makes many very popular household products including its eponymous toothpaste and detergent brands, as well as the Science Diet family of pet food.

"But in addition to having a wide stable of recession-resistant brands, the company also has a large presence not just in the U.S. but around the world.

"In fact, more than half of its revenue comes from overseas markets. Latin America accounts for about a third of sales, as does Europe and the South Pacific. Asia/Africa make up the rest.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"To paraphrase its marketing slogan: 'Nobody shouldn't like Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE),'" says Steve Ralston, consumer products sector expert at Zacks Investment Research.

"From the sales of staple products, consumer non-durable companies generate solid cash flow, with which management can enhance shareholder value through share repurchases and dividend increases.

"Recently restructured consumer non-durable companies are especially attractive, particularly if they are well-managed, trade at a single-digit P/E, and yield more than 4%.

"My favorite stock for 2009 is Sara Lee. Sara Lee announced a 5-year restructuring plan (the Transformation Plan) 3-1/2 years ago. The company has been right-sized, having divested unprofitable and low margin businesses.

"Church & Dwight Co. (NYSE: CHD) continues to do well what it has done since 1846: sell baking soda," notes Tracey Ryniec, who has chosen the stock as the latest Zacks Elite Stock of the Day.

The advisor explains, "In these turbulent financial times, investors have been turning to companies with a long track record of selling essential name-brand products and Church & Dwight is one of those companies.

"Church & Dwight is a consumer products company which produces, among other things, ARM & HAMMER baking soda, dental care toothpaste and Super Scoop Clumping Cat Litter.

"It has also been on an expansion tear in this decade. In 2001, the company acquired USA Detergents, Inc. and the laundry brands XTRA and Nice'N Fluffy.

"The expansion continued later that year when CHD acquired Carter-Wallace, Inc, which had brands such as Arrid Antiperspirant, Trojan Condoms, Nair Depilatories and First Response Home Pregnancy and Ovulation Test Kits.