Going through the Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ:HAIN) product line probably feels a lot like strolling through the aisles of Wild Oats (NASDAQ:OATS), Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ:WFMI), or your favorite organic grocer. Between the cartons of soymilk to your left, Celestial Seasoning tea blends to your right, and a bag of blue Terra chips as an impulse item by the cashier, Hain's got you covered.

Last night the company wrapped up a fiscal year that may sound like a dud in retrospect, as earnings fell from $0.79 a share to $0.74 a share. However, that did come on a 17% spurt in sales. No, ironically enough, the growth wasn't organic, as the company has always enhanced its ascent through timely acquisitions. But fiscal 2005 is shaping up as an interesting one.

The company is looking to earn between $0.92 and $1.01 a share with revenues clocking in at roughly $660 million. An intriguing possibility, though, lies with a test of its vegetable burgers with McDonald's (NYSE:MCD). Now, the McVeggie doesn't exactly have history working in its favor. Burger King had its own veggie burger come and go. McDonald's tried to cater to the dieters with its McLean Deluxe, and it was a flop.

However, times have changed. Now that Mickey D's has introduced everything from healthier salads to leaner cuts of chicken to apple slices, that McVeggie doesn't stick out like a sore thumb on the dining menu.

While its success may ultimately matter little to Hain's bottom line in the near term, if it helps further the trend of folks eating healthier, it could play well into the rest of the company's retail lines. Isn't it just a matter of time before a burger giant such as Wendy's (NYSE:WEN) starts offering Westsoy's soymilk as an alternative? Hain sure wouldn't mind widening those earthy aisles.

Will the McVeggie work? Is the healthier menu at McDonald's now more conducive to rolling out something like a vegetable burger? All this and more in the McDonald's discussion board. Only on Fool.com.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz enjoys those healthy apple slices because they come with caramel sauce dipping cups. He does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this story.