Should you have 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day? DGE and WHO say so

The amount of fruits and vegetables one has in a day, and having a relatively healthy diet can benefit the body in many aspects. Heart disease, strokes, some forms of cancer; all need measures to be prevented. The big discussion on how to take the necessary steps to help prevent these diseases goes back to the 1990s. The 5-a-day rule started then, with the efforts of WHO, to portion the daily intake of fruits and vegetables per person. 

What’s the 5-a-day rule?

Since the 1990s, the 5-a-day rule has been the recommended diet form. Including 5 portions of fruits and vegetables is the main idea behind the rule. However, different entities have different ideas. DGE (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung) for instance, recommends 5 portions exactly. WHO (World Health Organization) on the other hand actually recommends 400 grams minimum. 

For WHO, the goal is to go over the threshold for the day and let the individual have an easier time to integrate “healthy” foods into their diet. DGE aims to offer a more stable rhythm for nutrition instead.

5 portions can also be adjusted to each person, as it is based roughly on what one can fit into the palm of their hand. One handful of fruits and vegetables is considered one portion. While DGE has a focus more on nutrition and stability, WHO is mainly battling disease prevention and focuses on increasing the healthy food in every day diets.