Misunderstanding of dietary guideline

The "five fruits and vegetables" guideline is often misunderstood as suggesting five fruits, but it actually refers to five portions of fruits and vegetables in total per day.

Clarification from France Inter

An Instagram video from the Grand Bien Vous Fasse program on France Inter, published on October 25, 2026, clarifies that the guideline is not five fruits, but at least five portions of fruits and vegetables per day.

Official threshold and recommendations

Dr. Boris Hansel explains that the official threshold is around 400 g per day, though going higher can be beneficial, though it is not a requirement. The guideline corresponds to about 80 to 100 g per portion for adults.

Possibility of higher intake

In the video, Dr. Hansel also mentions the possibility of increasing to 700 or 800 g per day, though this is not considered a new objective. Some large observational studies find an association between higher intakes of fruits and vegetables and lower risks, notably cardiovascular and overall mortality.