Sec Form 4 Filing - SMITH CRAIG HARDER @ UNITED NATURAL FOODS INC - 2017-09-26

FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: November 30, 2011 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person SMITH CRAIG HARDER 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol UNITED NATURAL FOODS INC [ UNFI] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner X __ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) SVP, Fresh Sales (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O UNITED NATURAL FOODS, INC., 313 IRON HORSE WAY 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (MM/DD/YY) 09/26/2017 (Street) PROVIDENCE, RI02908 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YY) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) __ X __ Form filed by One Reporting Person _____ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned 1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 09/26/2017 A( 1 ) 3,497 A $ 0 ( 2 ) 14,524 D Common Stock 09/26/2017 F( 3 ) 1,153 D $ 44.39 13,371 D Common Stock 161 I See footnote ( 4 )

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ( e.g. , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) 1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YY) 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships Director 10% Owner Officer Other SMITH CRAIG HARDER C/O UNITED NATURAL FOODS, INC. 313 IRON HORSE WAY PROVIDENCE, RI02908 SVP, Fresh Sales Signatures Joseph McGrail, Power-of-Attorney, in fact 09/27/2017 Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

( 1 )On September 21, 2016, the reporting person was granted 3,480 performance units eligible to vest at target levels of performance (with vesting of more or less shares possible based on actual performance) based on the extent to which certain EPS, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted ROIC and total shareholder return performance targets were met for fiscal 2017. Based upon the performance of United Natural Foods, Inc. (the "Company") against the applicable performance targets, 3,497 performance units subject to such criteria vested on September 26, 2017, resulting in the issuance of 3,497 shares of the Company's common stock to the reporting person. ( 2 )Performance stock units were settled in shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis. Accordingly, there was no purchase price paid by the reporting person. ( 3 )As described in footnote 1, on September 26, 2017, the reporting person became entitled to received 3,497 shares of the Company's common stock. The Company retained 1,153 shares on that date to satisfy certain tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting. ( 4 )Includes 161 shares of common stock allocated to the reporting person under the United Natural Foods, Inc. 401(k) Plan's UNFI Stock Fund as of September 26, 2017.

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.