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

"We think there's enormous potential for profit as Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI) recovers from its deeply oversold position," says Mike Cintolo. Here's the latest from The Cabot Top Ten report.

"Whole Foods is the fourth-largest grocery store operator in the U.S., a rank it's achieved, among far older competitors, by competing not on price but on quality. In particular, Whole Foods has succeeded by satisfying shoppers' demand for healthy, earth-friendly organic foods.

"Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI) has rallied recently due to two main factors: a better-than-expected earnings report released in early August coupled with a breakthrough on WFMI's deal to acquire rival Wild Oats Markets," notes Paul Tracy.

The editor of StreetAuthority Market Advisor, plains, ""Whole Foods reported same-store sales growth of 7% in the second quarter. That's not quite as strong as the 9% reported a year ago, but it still represents solid growth and was above what analysts had expected."

He adds that wWhile earnings fell on a year-over-year basis, that was due mainly to costs associated with WFMI's new store openings. These costs, he suggests, represent an investment in future growth; analysts had already been expecting these higher start-up costs, and Whole Foods' earnings actually beat consensus estimates by two cents.

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

Sobey's (TSX:SBY), a grocery retailer and food distributor in Canada, is the top conservative buy for 2007 from Yola Edwards. The technical expert and editor of Yola's Charts notes, "The U.S. economy's measured expansion suggests that we are probably in late stage expansion.

"Although the popularity of organic and trendy, prepared, affluent specialty food stores have flourished as shoppers spend more on high-end merchandise, competition and a consumer spending slowdown could see a shift to more conventional supermarkets, such as Sobeys.

"The company operates or franchises stores in all ten provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, IGA extra, IGA, Foodland, and Price Chopper. The stock stock sports a 13.2 price to earnings ratio (P/E), certainly more attractive then 30 plus P/Es of high-end grocery retailers, but trading at a discount to conventional supermarkets.