8 specialty food stocks to watch

Considering investing in specialty food stocks? While the best specialty food stocks depend on your portfolio and investment goals, we've identified some specialty food stocks that are worth keeping an eye on in the health food sector. Keep reading to learn more about specialty food stocks and how to start investing.

8 popular specialty food stocks to watch

We round up a selection of stocks in or related to the health food industry, weighting the list more heavily towards popular mid- and large-cap stocks.

Best stock	1-year return	Market cap	Exchange	Volume	Buy now on CIBC Investor's Edge
Sprouts Farmers Market LLC (SFM.US)	-43.91% Sprouts Farmers Market LLC's 1-year return based on the closing price as of December 5, 2024.	$8.2 billion (USD)	NASDAQ	1,514,168	Buy now
Beyond Meat (BYND.US)	-72.16% Beyond Meat's 1-year return based on the closing price as of December 5, 2024.	$445.3 million (USD)	NASDAQ	77,682,486	Buy now
The Hain Celestial Group (HAIN.US)	(data unavailable)	$96.9 million (USD)	NASDAQ	(data unavailable)	Buy now
Lifeway Foods (LWAY.US)	1.62% Lifeway Foods's 1-year return based on the closing price as of December 5, 2024.	$377.4 million (USD)	NASDAQ	32,044	Buy now
SunOpta (STKL.US)	(data unavailable)	$447.5 million (USD)	NASDAQ	(data unavailable)	Buy now
Amazon-com (AMZN.US)	5.36% Amazon-com's 1-year return based on the closing price as of December 5, 2024.	$2.5 trillion (USD)	NASDAQ	35,495,058	Buy now
United Natural Foods (UNFI.US)	37.23% United Natural Foods's 1-year return based on the closing price as of December 5, 2024.	$2.3 billion (USD)	NYSE	1,617,625	Buy now
Burcon NutraScience Corporation (BU.TO)	-12.50% Burcon NutraScience Corporation's 1-year return based on the closing price as of December 4, 2024.	$22.3 million (CAD)	Toronto Stock Exchange	16,907	Buy now

The values in this table are accurate as of the market close on December 4, 2025, or the most recent data available. Volume refers to the number of shares traded during the day.

What to look for when investing in specialty food stock

The health food industry is affected by a range of complex factors such as trade policies, regulations, and fluctuating supply and demand. So when considering specialty food stocks to buy, it's important that you have access to vital information about a company's financial health, leadership team, and market positioning.

Also keep in mind that, while volatility can be ideal for day traders, long-term investors will want to look for stocks to offer steadier gains over time.

How to invest in specialty food stock

1. Research the health food industry. Before investing, learn about the specialty food stock sector, its trends and the companies within it. Look at each company's financial health, potential for growth and past performance to identify stocks that fit your investment goals.
2. Choose a stock trading platform. Compare trading fees, access to trading tools and user interface options. We've identified reliable trading platforms to help narrow down your options below or check out the best stock trading apps in Canada to find one that suits your needs.
3. Open and fund your account. Sign up with your personal details and link a bank account or funding method to deposit money before you start trading.
4. Select the specialty food stock(s) to buy. Search by company name or ticker symbol, like SFM or BYND. Compare key metrics such as market cap, price history and earnings per share to pick the best stock for your strategy.
5. Buy the stock and monitor performance. Place your order to buy the stock and track its performance over time. Consider setting alerts, signing up for industry newsletters or using platform research tools to stay up to date on market changes.

Our top picks for where to buy specialty food stocks

Are specialty food stocks a good investment?

While it's possible to turn a profit investing in specialty food stocks, keep in mind that—like any investment—specialty food stocks are not immune to risk. These stocks are subject to fluctuating conditions both in the market and in the health food industry, so carefully vet your picks before you invest.

What are the best specialty food stocks?

A lot of factors go into picking the best specialty food stocks. Stock performance can be impacted by factors like market conditions, company decisions and global events. Plus, what may be a strong specialty food stock investment for one person might not be suitable for another.

That said, we rounded up this list of popular specialty food stocks in or related to the health food industry to help narrow down your options:

• Sprouts Farmers Market LLC (SFM)
• Beyond Meat (BYND)
• The Hain Celestial Group (HAIN)
• Lifeway Foods (LWAY)
• SunOpta (STKL)
• Amazon-com (AMZN)
• United Natural Foods (UNFI)
• Burcon NutraScience Corporation (BU)

Keep in mind that this is not a "best" list or a recommendation. It highlights some specialty food stocks for informational purposes only and does not indicate past or future performance or investment advice. We do not guarantee any investment performance.

We've outlined detailed company and stock performance details for each specialty food stock below. Keep reading to decide if any of these companies are the right investment for you.

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Sprouts Farmers Market LLC (SFM)

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. , together with its subsidiaries, engages in the retailing of fresh, natural, and organic food products in the United States. The company offers perishable product categories, including produce, meat and meat alternatives, seafood, deli, bakery, floral, and dairy and dairy alternatives; and non-perishable product categories, such as grocery, vitamins and supplements, bulk items, frozen foods, beer and wine, and natural health and body care.

Closing stock price	$85.10
Market Capitalization The total market value of Sprouts Farmers Market LLC's outstanding shares	$8.2 billion
Gross profit (TTM)	$3.4 billion
Profit margin	5.93%
Revenue (TTM)	$8.7 billion
Earnings per share (TTM)	$5.16
52-week stock price range	$75.75 – $182.00

All dollar amounts in this table are in USD. TTM refers to the "trailing 12 months." All values are accurate as of the market close on December 2, 2025.

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Beyond Meat (BYND)

Beyond Meat, Inc. , a plant-based meat company, engages in the development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of plant-based meat products under the Beyond brand name in the United States and internationally. The company sells a range of plant-based meat products that replicates beef, pork, and poultry meats.

Closing stock price	$1.25
Market Capitalization The total market value of Beyond Meat's outstanding shares	$445.3 million
Gross profit (TTM)	$28.8 million
Profit margin	-81.81%
Revenue (TTM)	$290.6 million
Earnings per share (TTM)	-$3.17
52-week stock price range	$0.50 – $4.95

All dollar amounts in this table are in USD. TTM refers to the "trailing 12 months." All values are accurate as of the market close on December 2, 2025.

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The Hain Celestial Group (HAIN)

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. manufactures, markets, and sells organic and natural products in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and internationally. The company offers infant formula; infant and toddler formula, infant cereals, baby food pouches, snacks and frozen toddler and kids' foods; plant-based beverages such as soy, rice, oat, cashew and spelt; and condiments, as well as meat-free dishes and meals.

Market Capitalization The total market value of The Hain Celestial Group's outstanding shares	$96.9 million
Gross profit (TTM)	$327 million
Profit margin	-34.69%
Revenue (TTM)	$1.5 billion
Earnings per share (TTM)	-$5.90
52-week stock price range	$1.01 – $8.54

All dollar amounts in this table are in USD. TTM refers to the "trailing 12 months." All values are accurate as of the market close on December 4, 2025.

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Lifeway Foods (LWAY)

Lifeway Foods, Inc. produces and markets probiotic-based products in the United States and internationally. The company's primary product is drinkable kefir, a cultured dairy product in various organic and non-organic sizes, flavors, and types.

Closing stock price	$24.79
Market Capitalization The total market value of Lifeway Foods's outstanding shares	$377.4 million
Gross profit (TTM)	$58.1 million
Profit margin	5.47%
Revenue (TTM)	$204.1 million
Earnings per share (TTM)	$0.74
52-week stock price range	$19.50 – $34.20

All dollar amounts in this table are in USD. TTM refers to the "trailing 12 months." All values are accurate as of the market close on November 27, 2025.

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SunOpta (STKL)

SunOpta Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of plant and fruit-based food and beverage products in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It provides plant-based beverage products, including oat, almond, soy, coconut, rice, hemp, and other bases under the Dream and West Life brands names; oat-based creamers under the SOWN brand name; ready-to-drink protein shakes; packaged teas and concentrates; meat and vegetable broths and stocks; and nut, grain, seed, and legume-based beverages.

Market Capitalization The total market value of SunOpta's outstanding shares	$447.5 million
Gross profit (TTM)	$118.2 million
Profit margin	0.16%
Revenue (TTM)	$792.4 million
Earnings per share (TTM)	$0.04
52-week stock price range	$3.32 – $8.05

All dollar amounts in this table are in USD. TTM refers to the "trailing 12 months." All values are accurate as of the market close on December 4, 2025.

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Amazon-com (AMZN)

Amazon. com, Inc. engages in the retail sale of consumer products, advertising, and subscriptions service through online and physical stores in North America and internationally.

Closing stock price	$232.38
Market Capitalization The total market value of Amazon-com's outstanding shares	$2.5 trillion
Gross profit (TTM)	$346 billion
Profit margin	11.06%
Revenue (TTM)	$691.3 billion
Earnings per share (TTM)	$7.09
52-week stock price range	$161.38 – $258.60

All dollar amounts in this table are in USD. TTM refers to the "trailing 12 months." All values are accurate as of the market close on December 2, 2025.

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United Natural Foods (UNFI)

United Natural Foods, Inc. , together with its subsidiaries, engages in the distribution of natural, organic, specialty, produce, and conventional grocery and non-food products in the United States and Canada. It operates in three segments: Natural, Wholesale, and Retail.

Closing stock price	$33.32
Market Capitalization The total market value of United Natural Foods's outstanding shares	$2.3 billion
Gross profit (TTM)	$4.2 billion
Profit margin	-0.37%
Revenue (TTM)	$31.8 billion
Earnings per share (TTM)	-$1.95
52-week stock price range	$20.78 – $43.29

All dollar amounts in this table are in USD. TTM refers to the "trailing 12 months." All values are accurate as of the market close on December 2, 2025.

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Burcon NutraScience Corporation (BU)

Burcon NutraScience Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides plant-based proteins for the food and beverage industry in Canada. The company offers peas, which includes Peazazz, a pea protein for use in dairy alternatives; and canola protein, which comprises meat alternatives, egg alternatives, non-dairy frozen desserts, ready-to-mix beverages, whipped toppings and nutrition bars, and other concentrated protein supplements. It also provides soy that includes soy protein, a protein replacement for dairy proteins in food or in products, such as protein shakes, power bars, soups and sauces, meat alternatives, and breads and baked goods; and CLARISOY for sports nutrition beverages, citrus-based drinks, fruit-flavoured beverages, lemonades, powdered beverage mixes, and in various non-beverage plant-based applications.

Closing stock price	C$1.75
Market Capitalization The total market value of Burcon NutraScience Corporation's outstanding shares	C$22.3 million
Gross profit (TTM)	C$-3,957,950
Revenue (TTM)	C$803,708
Earnings per share (TTM)	-C$2.24
52-week stock price range	C$1.60 – C$5.00

All dollar amounts in this table are in CAD. TTM refers to the "trailing 12 months." All values are accurate as of the market close on December 2, 2025.

Compare trading platforms to buy specialty food stock

Compare special offers, low fees and a wide range of investment options among popular trading platforms in Canada. Note that the dollar amounts in the table below are in CAD.

Related: Compare the best stock trading platforms in Canada

Bottom line

If you're considering adding specialty food stocks to your portfolio, make sure you thoroughly look into any companies before investing to help mitigate risk. We've compiled a list of specialty food stocks to help narrow down your options. Then choose a legitimate stock trading platform to start investing. After that it comes down to monitoring the health food industry to know when to buy, sell or hold.

Related: How to buy stocks in Canada

Frequently asked questions about specialty food stocks

• What are specialty food stocks?

  Specialty food stocks are shares of companies that either directly work in the specialty food sector or operate within related industries. Investors interested in buying specialty food stocks may be looking to take advantage of market trends or lock in investments for the long haul.

• What is the top specialty food stock to buy in 2025?

  Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to choose a single "top" specialty food stock to invest in due to factors like market fluctuations, company management and shifting economic trends. These can all change—sometimes overnight—how a stock performs. It's best to do your own research to decide which companies fit within your risk tolerance. Reviewing a company's financial reports and past stock performance can help you decide if it's worth investing in.

• Where can I find information and regular updates about the health food industry?

  You can keep track of the latest health food news and updates by signing up for financial newsletters, visiting financial news sites, reading company investor relations pages and using market research platforms. Many online brokerages also offer sector reports, stock screeners and alerts to help you track movements in your stock performance or updates in or related to the health food industry.

Check these other commodities and investment sectors

If you're thinking about diversifying your portfolio and investing in sectors beyond specialty food stocks, here are some others you can consider:

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