As guarantors of a well-balanced diet, fruit and vegetables are key players in presenting a large number of illnesses: cardiovascular diseases (primary cause of mortality in France), cancers, osteoporosis, diabetes, atherosclerosis, obesity, degenerative diseases, high blood pressure, etc.  They are also the best recipe for ageing well.
They have great nutritional qualities for minimum calories and are preferable to foods that produce ‘empty calories’ like table sugar.
As a general rule, they contain few proteins, few lipids, some carbohydrates and 90% water on average. They are very well supplied in vitamins, minerals, micro-nutriments and many other elements essential to the body’s health.

Indispensable for a healthy diet, fruit and vegetables also play an essential role in preventing many cancers because they have a high concentration of antioxidant substances, like vitamin C (kiwi, sweet pepper, orange), vitamin E (nuts and dried fruit), carotene or  provitamin A (carrot, dandelion, melon) or zinc and selenium (garlic, chicory). Other substances are also recognized for their antioxidant content, like glucosinates (compounds found in cabbages) and polyphenols (tannins in red wine or tea, apples, grapes, red berries).

In one of its priority nutritional objectives, the French national nutrition and health programme (PNNS - Programme National Nutrition Santé) recommends eating at least five fruit and vegetables a day. Indeed, while energy requirements decrease with age, the need for vitamins, minerals and micro-nutriments remains high. Yet although fruit and vegetables (12% of the total food budget on average) are recognized as essential to health and a balanced diet, parts of the population still avoids them. Whereas 43% of the population consumes 5 fruit a vegetables a day,
one third of adults and 60% of children eat less than 3.5 portions a day.
In Ile-de-France, 30% of residents declare that they do not eat fruit and vegetables every day. This figure rises to 50% among the under-25s. The experts recommend eating between 400g (minimum threshold) and 800g of fruit and vegetables a day, spread over the day. In fact, a 30% decrease in cancer risks has been recorded with 400g and over.

Aquatic products are a natural reservoir of minerals (iodine, phosphorus, selenium, iron, magnesium, etc.), micro-nutriments and vitamins (B12, B3 or PP, B6, D, E). Their calories/proteins ratio is also excellent. A fatty fish contains from 6 to 14% lipids while a lean fish has less than 3%. So 100g of fish provides between 60 and 200 kcalories.

The PNNS, the Académie de Médecine and nutritional specialists recommend eating three dairy products a day for our good health.
These are actually the foods that have the highest calcium content – indispensable to ensure healthy bones all life lone – and easily absorbed by the body.
They are rich in proteins, minerals and vitamins (phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, iodine, B2, B6, A and D). They also contain sugar and lipids, in proportions that vary with each product (only 1.6% lipids in semi-skimmed milk). Milks, yoghurts, fermented milk, fromage frais, melted or matured cheeses from whole or skimmed milk; the range is very broad.

Meats (beef, veal, lamb, pork, tripe products, etc.) are an excellent source of proteins with rich, balanced amino acid content, as well as an important satiety effect. In the case of beef, most pieces contain less than 6% lipids, regardless of how they are cooked. The fatty acids are evenly split between those that are saturated or unsaturated, while the dominant fatty acid is oleic acid. Meat products are also an essential source of wholly absorbable heme iron (20 to 25%) and facilitate absorption of the irons in other foods. Moreover, meat contains a significant amount of minerals (zinc, selenium) and vitamins (B6, B12, PP).

The notion of taking pleasure in food is quite a recent phenomenon. For a long time greed was considered a sin. Nutritionists agree that you should experience pleasure when eating food and taste is the principal factor. All the senses are stimulated by the organoleptic properties of foods: smell, sight, hearing, touch. A recent study by Crédoc showed that 97.3% of French consumers consider the meal as a time for conviviality and 96.7% like to take pleasure in eating. In addition, 32% of them would buy more fresh produce if their budget was bigger.
We note that young children are more concerned by appearance and texture whereas the elderly are more drawn by savours. The concept of ‘health’ is too abstract for a child because it requires and understanding of the ‘long term’.

Saïda Barnat
(Manager of the Scientific Department of Aprifel)

“Our way of eating has changed a lot all through history and for a long time fruit and vegetables were the poor relation of foods. Then we realized that these foods are an important source of vitamins and substances beneficial to our health. We discovered the vitamins first and now we are at polyphenols.  According to WHO, is it now proven that a healthy, balanced diet must include 400g of fruit and vegetables a day, preferably in fresh produce (vitamin content). The latter have a beneficial effect on certain patients, particularly in the fight against obesity. Clearly, any regular consumption of fruit and vegetables has to be driven by the pleasure derived from eating them. Fruit and vegetables are an irreplaceable source of pleasure and health.”

Dr Jacques Fricker
(Doctor and nutritionist - Hôpital Bichat)

“Fresh produce is a source of pleasure and good health. It tastes better than frozen or canned products, although it is perfectly all right to alternate between them.
Fruit and vegetables can be consumed in quantity because of their rich content (vitamins, mineral salts, polyphenols) and power to fight against obesity, premature ageing, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Some recent American and French studies have shown that people who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables are slimmer than other consumers.
Seafood products are rich in omega-3 (fatty fish like herring, mackerel, sardines, tuna or salmon), proteins and mineral salts (iron, phosphorus, magnesium).
Meats contain good proteins, B-group vitamins, iron and mineral salts. It is better to eat the leaner meats (red or white), poultry, game, tripe products, cured or cooked ham.
Dairy products contain proteins, vitamins (B12), calcium (especially the hard cheeses). Nevertheless, it is better to vary the types of cheese.
Eggs are also a good source of proteins and can be eaten in different ways.
You should take pleasure in eating while respecting the seasons; fruit and vegetables in season contain more polyphenols.”
Latest publication: Les meilleurs régimes du monde (with Dominique Laty: historian and cook). Ed. Odile Jacob - Paris

Pascale Hébel
(Director of the Consumption Department of Crédoc)

“In the present crisis context, there is a desire to get back to basics; a desire to eat fresh produce again, which is quite positive. However, there are sectors where the persistent drop-off in consumption has accelerated, leading to the purchase of other food products (such as canned fish). We also note some other shifts in consumption (return of tripe products). In the present crisis, we are more price-sensitive and as a result consumption focuses on the least expensive fresh produce. Unlike previous years, however, we are seeing a fall in the health-diet, whereas the notion of pleasure is growing, particularly in wealthier social categories (the most educated), looking for quality fresh produce on the markets, plus cookbooks and cooking programmes on TV. On the other hand, the poorer categories are giving preference to the health-diet. Generally speaking, ready-made meals, light products and health foods are on a downward trend. We are going back to basics by buying “bulk” fresh produce. The products most consumed are still bread, fruit and vegetables. In these worrying times, we are going back to a more traditional cuisine.”

François Pasteau
(Chef and owner of the restaurant L’Epi Dupin - Paris 6e)

“If I go to Rungis twice a week, it’s because I find all the fresh produce I need there, particularly fruit and vegetables, with all their colours, shapes, scents, textures and savours. I combine the pleasure of good food with a balanced diet. Lunching at the restaurant is primarily about pleasing yourself; the pleasure of discovering products that you rarely eat at home, or else familiar products prepared in an original way.
My role is, above all, to put pleasure in the plate, through textures and savours. I use a lot of fruit in desserts, to give a fresh touch. In this respect, it is important to respect the seasons, because fruit and vegetables are an unending source of pleasure and health.”