<PAGE>
 
             As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
                              on January 17, 1997

                                                     Registration No. 333-
                                                                          -----

===============================================================================

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D. C. 20549

                                   FORM S-8

                         REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                          THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                          UNITED NATURAL FOODS, INC.
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           Delaware                                     05-0376157
(State or other jurisdiction of                      (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                    Identification Number)

        260 Lake Road, Dayville, Connecticut                 06241
     (Address of Principal Executive Offices)              (Zip Code)

                            1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                           (Full title of the Plan)

                              Norman A. Cloutier
                            Chief Executive Officer
                        c/o United Natural Foods, Inc.
                                 260 Lake Road
                          Dayville, Connecticut 06241
                    (Name and address of agent for service)

                                (860) 779-2800
         (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

===============================================================================

                       CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE 

<TABLE> 
<CAPTION> 
                                Proposed     Proposed
Title of                        maximum      maximum
securities         Amount       offering     aggregate       Amount of
to be              to be        price        offering        registration
registered       registered     per share    price           fee           
----------       ----------     ---------    ---------       ------------      
<S>              <C>            <C>         <C>              <C>
Common Stock,     1,375,000     $14.50(1)    $19,937,500(1)      $6,042
$.01 par          shares    
value
</TABLE> 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)     Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the
        registration fee, and based upon the average of the
        high and low prices of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq   
        National Market on January 15, 1997 in accordance with 
        Rules 457(c) and 457(h) of the Securities Act of 1933.
===============================================================================
<PAGE>
 
PART I.  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

         The information required by Part I is included in documents sent or
given to participants in the Registrant's 1996 Stock Option Plan pursuant to
Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
Act").


PART II. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

     Item 3.  Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference

         The following documents, which are filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), are incorporated in this Registration
Statement by reference:

         (1)  The Registrant's latest annual report filed pursuant to Sections
13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act"), or the latest prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the
Securities Act that contains audited financial statements for the registrant's
latest fiscal year for which such statements have been filed.

         (2)  All other reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the annual report or
the prospectus referred to in (1) above.

         (3)  The description of the common stock of the Registrant, $.01 par
value per share (the "Common Stock"), contained in the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form 8-A filed under the Exchange Act, including any amendment or
report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-
effective amendment which indicates that all shares of Common Stock offered
hereby have been sold or which deregisters all shares of Common Stock then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to
be part hereof from the date of the filing of such documents.

                                      II-1
<PAGE>
 
        Item 4.  Description of Securities
                 -------------------------

             Not applicable.


        Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
                 --------------------------------------
      
             Not Applicable.


        Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers
                 ----------------------------------------- 

             Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware provides
that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee or
agent of the corporation and certain other persons serving at the request of the
corporation in related capacities against amounts paid and expenses incurred in
connection with an action or proceeding to which he is or is threatened to be
made a party by reason of such position, if such person shall have acted in good
faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal proceeding, if such person
had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful; provided that, in
the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no
indemnification shall be made with respect to any matter as to which such person
shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the
extent that the adjudicating court determines that such indemnification is
proper under the circumstances .

             Article NINTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation provides that a director or officer of the Registrant (a) shall
be indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys'
fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement reasonably incurred in
connection with any litigation or other legal proceeding (other than an action
by or in the right of the Registrant) brought against him by virtue of his
position as a director or officer of the Registrant if he acted in good faith
and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best
interests of the Registrant, and, with respect to any criminal action or
proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful and (b)
shall be indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including
attorneys' fees) and amounts paid in settlement reasonably incurred in
connection with any action by or in the right of the Registrant by virtue of his
position as a director or officer of the Registrant if he acted in good faith
and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best
interests of the Registrant, except that no indemnification

                                      II-2
<PAGE>
 
shall be made with respect to any such matter as to which such director or
officer shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Registrant, unless a court
determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all the circumstances
of the case, such person is entitled to indemnity for such expenses.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that a director or officer has been
successful, on the merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the
dismissal of an action without prejudice, he is required to be indemnified by
the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred in
connection therewith. Expenses incurred in defending a civil or criminal action,
suit or proceeding shall be advanced by the Registrant to a director or officer,
at his request, upon receipt of an undertaking by the director or officer to
repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to
indemnification.

             Indemnification is required to be made unless the Registrant
determines (in the manner provided in the Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation) that the applicable standard of conduct required for
indemnification has not been met. In the event of a determination by the
Registrant that the director or officer did not meet the applicable standard of
conduct required for indemnification, or if the Registrant fails to make an
indemnification payment within 60 days after such payment is claimed by such
person, such person is permitted to petition a court to make an independent
determination as to whether such person is entitled to indemnification. As a
condition precedent to the right of indemnification, the director or officer
must give the Registrant notice of the action for which indemnity is sought and
the Registrant has the right to participate in such action or assume the defense
thereof.

             Article NINTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation further provides that the indemnification provided therein is
not exclusive, and provides that in the event that the Delaware General
Corporation Law is amended to expand the indemnification permitted to directors
or officers, the Registrant must indemnify those persons to the fullest extent
permitted by such law as so amended.

             The Company has purchased a general liability insurance policy
which covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of the Company
arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacity as directors
or officers.

             Article EIGHTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation provides that, except to the extent that the General
Corporation Law of Delaware prohibits the elimination or 

                                      II-3
<PAGE>
 
limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty, no director
of the Registrant shall be personally liable to the Registrant or its
stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a
director.

        Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed
                 -----------------------------------

             Not applicable.


        Item 8.  Exhibits

   Exhibit                                                      
   Number            Description                                 
   -------           -----------
     4.1 (1)    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the 
                Registrant

     4.2 (1)    Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant

     4.3 (1)    Specimen certificate for shares of common stock.

     5.1        Opinion of Hale and Dorr  LLP

    23.1        Consent of Hale and Dorr LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

    23.2        Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

    23.3        Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

    24.1        Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this 
                Registration Statement)

------------
(1)  Incorporated herein by reference from the Registrant's Registration 
     Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-11349).

                                      II-4
<PAGE>
 
        Item 9.  Undertakings

             1.   The Registrant hereby undertakes:

             (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                 (i)  To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of 
          the Securities Act;

                 (ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising 
          after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most
          recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
          aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set 
          forth in the Registration Statement; and

                 (iii)  To include any material information with respect to the 
          plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration 
          Statement or any material change to such information in the 
          Registration Statement;

          provided, however, that paragraphs (i) and (ii) do not apply if the
          --------  -------
     Registration Statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information
     required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs
     is contained in periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to
     Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by
     reference in the Registration Statement.

          (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
     Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a
     new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and
     the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
     initial bona fide offering thereof.

          (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
     any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
     termination of the offering.

          2. The Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining
any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant's annual
report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and,
where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report
pursuant to Section 15(d) of 

                                      II-5
<PAGE>
 
the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

          3. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons
of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.

                                      II-6
<PAGE>
 
                                  SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Dayville, State of Connecticut, on January 17, 1997.

        
                                        UNITED NATURAL FOODS, INC.



                                        By: /s/ Norman A. Cloutier 
                                            ---------------------------------
                                            Norman A. Cloutier
                                            Chief Executive Officer




                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

        We, the undersigned officers and directors of United Natural Foods, Inc.
hereby severally constitute and appoint Norman A. Cloutier, Steven H. Townsend
and Paul V. Rogers, Esq., and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys
with full power to them, and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our
names in the capacities indicated below, the Registration Statement on Form S-8
filed herewith and any and all subsequent amendments to said Registration
Statement, and generally to do all such things in our names and on our behalf in
our capacities as officers and directors to enable United Natural Foods, Inc. to
comply with the provisions of the Securities Act and all requirements of the
Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our
signatures as they may be signed by said attorneys, or any of them, to said
Registration Statement and any and all amendments thereto.

                                      II-7
<PAGE>
 
        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and
on the date indicated.

        Signature                Title                         Date
        ---------                -----                         ----

/s/ Norman A. Cloutier        Chairman of the Board       )   January 17, 1997 
--------------------------    and Chief Executive         )
Norman A. Cloutier            Officer (principal          )
                              executive officer)          )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Michael S. Funk           Vice Chairman of the        )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------    Board and President         ) 
Michael S. Funk                                           )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Steven H. Townsend        Chief Financial             )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------    Officer, Treasurer          )
Steven H. Townsend            and Director                )
                              (principal financial        )
                              and accounting officer)     )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Daniel V. Atwood          Director                    )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------                                )
Daniel V. Atwood                                          )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Andrea R. Hendricks       Director                    )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------                                )
Andrea R. Hendricks                                       )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Kevin T. Michel           Director                    )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------                                )
Kevin T. Michel                                           )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Richard J. Williams       Director                    )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------                                )
Richard J. Williams                                       )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Thomas B. Simone          Director                    )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------                                )
Thomas B. Simone                                          )

                                      II-8
<PAGE>
 
                                 Exhibit Index
                                 -------------

Exhibit                                                 
Number          Description                                     
-------         -----------

   4.1 (1)      Amended and Restated Certificate of 
                Incorporation of the Registrant

   4.2 (1)      Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant

   4.3 (1)      Specimen certificate for shares of common stock.

   5.1          Opinion of Hale and Dorr LLP      

  23.1          Consent of Hale and Dorr LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

  23.2          Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

  23.3          Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

  24.1          Power of Attorney (included on the signature
                page of this Registration Statement)

------------
(1)  Incorporated herein by reference from the Registrant's 
     Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-11349). 

                                      II-9
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 21290}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "UNITED NATURAL FOODS INC", "cik": "0001020859", "assigned-sic": "5141", "irs-number": "050376157", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0731"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-19949", "film-number": "97507242"}, "business-address": {"street1": "PO BOX 999", "street2": "260 LAKE RD", "city": "DAYVILLE", "state": "CT", "zip": "06241", "phone": "860-779-28"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "PO BOX 999", "street2": "260 LAKE RD", "city": "DAYVILLE", "state": "CT", "zip": "06241"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
                              on January 17, 1997

                                                     Registration No. 333-
                                                                          -----

===============================================================================

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D. C. 20549

                                   FORM S-8

                         REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                          THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                          UNITED NATURAL FOODS, INC.
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           Delaware                                     05-0376157
(State or other jurisdiction of                      (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                    Identification Number)

        260 Lake Road, Dayville, Connecticut                 06241
     (Address of Principal Executive Offices)              (Zip Code)

                            1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                           (Full title of the Plan)

                              Norman A. Cloutier
                            Chief Executive Officer
                        c/o United Natural Foods, Inc.
                                 260 Lake Road
                          Dayville, Connecticut 06241
                    (Name and address of agent for service)

                                (860) 779-2800
         (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

===============================================================================

                       CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Proposed     Proposed
Title of                        maximum      maximum
securities         Amount       offering     aggregate       Amount of
to be              to be        price        offering        registration
registered       registered     per share    price           fee           
----------       ----------     ---------    ---------       ------------
Common Stock,     1,375,000     $14.50(1)    $19,937,500(1)      $6,042
$.01 par          shares    
value
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)     Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the
        registration fee, and based upon the average of the
        high and low prices of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq   
        National Market on January 15, 1997 in accordance with 
        Rules 457(c) and 457(h) of the Securities Act of 1933.
===============================================================================
PART I.  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

         The information required by Part I is included in documents sent or
given to participants in the Registrant's 1996 Stock Option Plan pursuant to
Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
Act").

PART II. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

     Item 3.  Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference

         The following documents, which are filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), are incorporated in this Registration
Statement by reference:

         (1)  The Registrant's latest annual report filed pursuant to Sections
13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act"), or the latest prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the
Securities Act that contains audited financial statements for the registrant's
latest fiscal year for which such statements have been filed.

         (2)  All other reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the annual report or
the prospectus referred to in (1) above.

         (3)  The description of the common stock of the Registrant, $.01 par
value per share (the "Common Stock"), contained in the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form 8-A filed under the Exchange Act, including any amendment or
report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-
effective amendment which indicates that all shares of Common Stock offered
hereby have been sold or which deregisters all shares of Common Stock then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to
be part hereof from the date of the filing of such documents.

                                      II-1
Item 4.  Description of Securities
                 -------------------------

             Not applicable.

        Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
                 --------------------------------------
      
             Not Applicable.

        Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers
                 ----------------------------------------- 

             Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware provides
that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee or
agent of the corporation and certain other persons serving at the request of the
corporation in related capacities against amounts paid and expenses incurred in
connection with an action or proceeding to which he is or is threatened to be
made a party by reason of such position, if such person shall have acted in good
faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal proceeding, if such person
had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful; provided that, in
the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no
indemnification shall be made with respect to any matter as to which such person
shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the
extent that the adjudicating court determines that such indemnification is
proper under the circumstances .

             Article NINTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation provides that a director or officer of the Registrant (a) shall
be indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys'
fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement reasonably incurred in
connection with any litigation or other legal proceeding (other than an action
by or in the right of the Registrant) brought against him by virtue of his
position as a director or officer of the Registrant if he acted in good faith
and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best
interests of the Registrant, and, with respect to any criminal action or
proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful and (b)
shall be indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including
attorneys' fees) and amounts paid in settlement reasonably incurred in
connection with any action by or in the right of the Registrant by virtue of his
position as a director or officer of the Registrant if he acted in good faith
and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best
interests of the Registrant, except that no indemnification

                                      II-2
shall be made with respect to any such matter as to which such director or
officer shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Registrant, unless a court
determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all the circumstances
of the case, such person is entitled to indemnity for such expenses.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that a director or officer has been
successful, on the merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the
dismissal of an action without prejudice, he is required to be indemnified by
the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred in
connection therewith. Expenses incurred in defending a civil or criminal action,
suit or proceeding shall be advanced by the Registrant to a director or officer,
at his request, upon receipt of an undertaking by the director or officer to
repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to
indemnification.

             Indemnification is required to be made unless the Registrant
determines (in the manner provided in the Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation) that the applicable standard of conduct required for
indemnification has not been met. In the event of a determination by the
Registrant that the director or officer did not meet the applicable standard of
conduct required for indemnification, or if the Registrant fails to make an
indemnification payment within 60 days after such payment is claimed by such
person, such person is permitted to petition a court to make an independent
determination as to whether such person is entitled to indemnification. As a
condition precedent to the right of indemnification, the director or officer
must give the Registrant notice of the action for which indemnity is sought and
the Registrant has the right to participate in such action or assume the defense
thereof.

             Article NINTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation further provides that the indemnification provided therein is
not exclusive, and provides that in the event that the Delaware General
Corporation Law is amended to expand the indemnification permitted to directors
or officers, the Registrant must indemnify those persons to the fullest extent
permitted by such law as so amended.

             The Company has purchased a general liability insurance policy
which covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of the Company
arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacity as directors
or officers.

             Article EIGHTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation provides that, except to the extent that the General
Corporation Law of Delaware prohibits the elimination or 

                                      II-3
limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty, no director
of the Registrant shall be personally liable to the Registrant or its
stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a
director.

        Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed
                 -----------------------------------

             Not applicable.

        Item 8.  Exhibits

   Exhibit                                                      
   Number            Description                                 
   -------           -----------
     4.1 (1)    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the 
                Registrant

     4.2 (1)    Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant

     4.3 (1)    Specimen certificate for shares of common stock.

     5.1        Opinion of Hale and Dorr  LLP

    23.1        Consent of Hale and Dorr LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

    23.2        Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

    23.3        Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

    24.1        Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this 
                Registration Statement)

------------
(1)  Incorporated herein by reference from the Registrant's Registration 
     Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-11349).

                                      II-4
Item 9.  Undertakings

             1.   The Registrant hereby undertakes:

             (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                 (i)  To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of 
          the Securities Act;

                 (ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising 
          after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most
          recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
          aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set 
          forth in the Registration Statement; and

                 (iii)  To include any material information with respect to the 
          plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration 
          Statement or any material change to such information in the 
          Registration Statement;

          provided, however, that paragraphs (i) and (ii) do not apply if the
          --------  -------
     Registration Statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information
     required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs
     is contained in periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to
     Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by
     reference in the Registration Statement.

          (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
     Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a
     new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and
     the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
     initial bona fide offering thereof.

          (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
     any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
     termination of the offering.

          2. The Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining
any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant's annual
report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and,
where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report
pursuant to Section 15(d) of 

                                      II-5
the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

          3. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons
of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.

                                      II-6
SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Dayville, State of Connecticut, on January 17, 1997.

        
                                        UNITED NATURAL FOODS, INC.

                                        By: /s/ Norman A. Cloutier 
                                            ---------------------------------
                                            Norman A. Cloutier
                                            Chief Executive Officer

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

        We, the undersigned officers and directors of United Natural Foods, Inc.
hereby severally constitute and appoint Norman A. Cloutier, Steven H. Townsend
and Paul V. Rogers, Esq., and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys
with full power to them, and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our
names in the capacities indicated below, the Registration Statement on Form S-8
filed herewith and any and all subsequent amendments to said Registration
Statement, and generally to do all such things in our names and on our behalf in
our capacities as officers and directors to enable United Natural Foods, Inc. to
comply with the provisions of the Securities Act and all requirements of the
Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our
signatures as they may be signed by said attorneys, or any of them, to said
Registration Statement and any and all amendments thereto.

                                      II-7
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and
on the date indicated.

        Signature                Title                         Date
        ---------                -----                         ----

/s/ Norman A. Cloutier        Chairman of the Board       )   January 17, 1997 
--------------------------    and Chief Executive         )
Norman A. Cloutier            Officer (principal          )
                              executive officer)          )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Michael S. Funk           Vice Chairman of the        )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------    Board and President         ) 
Michael S. Funk                                           )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Steven H. Townsend        Chief Financial             )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------    Officer, Treasurer          )
Steven H. Townsend            and Director                )
                              (principal financial        )
                              and accounting officer)     )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Daniel V. Atwood          Director                    )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------                                )
Daniel V. Atwood                                          )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Andrea R. Hendricks       Director                    )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------                                )
Andrea R. Hendricks                                       )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Kevin T. Michel           Director                    )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------                                )
Kevin T. Michel                                           )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Richard J. Williams       Director                    )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------                                )
Richard J. Williams                                       )
                                                          )
                                                          )
/s/ Thomas B. Simone          Director                    )   January 17, 1997
--------------------------                                )
Thomas B. Simone                                          )

                                      II-8
Exhibit Index
                                 -------------

Exhibit                                                 
Number          Description                                     
-------         -----------

   4.1 (1)      Amended and Restated Certificate of 
                Incorporation of the Registrant

   4.2 (1)      Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant

   4.3 (1)      Specimen certificate for shares of common stock.

   5.1          Opinion of Hale and Dorr LLP      

  23.1          Consent of Hale and Dorr LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

  23.2          Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

  23.3          Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

  24.1          Power of Attorney (included on the signature
                page of this Registration Statement)

------------
(1)  Incorporated herein by reference from the Registrant's 
     Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-11349). 

                                      II-9