First, I see the distinction between mass and count “words” as one that is not so rigidly followed these days, though, and thus in certain cases to be regarded as ‘pedantic’ and prescriptive. English is the language as spoken by native speakers today, not the rules as set down by grammarians a couple of centuries ago. While the broad rules still seems to hold in most cases, in some it seems to be a historical artefact that is less and less an indicator of how people speak modern English – that is fewer and fewer people make the distinctions as universally as they should according to this rule. So the important thing is not to think about it as a rule, but think of it in terms of pragmatics and semantics which can and do differ, particularly in the case of the example you give.

What is the difference between fruit and vegetable and, second, both can be used as

mass nouns so you can say less fruit and vegetable (you are talking about broad classes of food not specific exemplars).

Third, both fruits and vegetables can be used as plural count nuuns so you can say

lower fruits and vegetables (but these means eat less variety not less in total quantity) (non-French).

The last list is NOT What is the pyramid of protein and protein? On a high protein diet I am told to eat less fruit and vegetable, especially in the evening, because of the high starch content. What says nothing about how many fruits and vegetables I eat, but what happens when I bite them?

I would regard the following as being semantically correct but to my ear just a trifle grammatically awkward (as not grouped as a mass noun complex by me)

less fruit and vegetables

On the other hand the following does not have the same awkwardness because veges has more of a mass noun feel to it…

less fruits and vegetables

cf. eat your vegetables (which can still be said even if the only vege on your plate is carrots)

Also in some dialects we even lose the plural marker:

less fruit and veg.

The following is even more awkward because there is a phonological and experiential aspect to this (both in terms of “less fruit” going together and “fruit and vegetables” going together in this specific order)

How many vegetables and

fruits mean? “How many vegetables must I eat?”

So in short, choose less or fewer according to whether you are talking about quantity or count, and then choose your nouns to suit. I grew up with little and was very weak so I did not see fewer in this dictionary.

If a word is pressed into use in a different part of speech, the word on purpose can be used but that noun already in use if another word can, yet, be used too easily. The word soever may never be used again, unless the word actually is intended? Thus I can shoulder someone and table a motion, or I can complain there’s only so much table to use, or there’s so little shoulder to cry on, rather than so few tables to use or so few shoulders to cry on (there may only be the one). When this fits with the context doesn’t raise the slightest hackle in a native speaker, but the non-native is prudent because there may be an appropriate word that should rather be used. Thus you can’t say he “footed” the ball aside as there is a specialist word “kicked”, and you aren’t likely to sound natural saying there wasn’t enough “foot” in that shot if you mean there wasn’t enough “kick” in that shot (noting that here we have verb -> -> count -> noun -> mass noun by metonymy for “energy in

the kick”)

I’ll assume you’re using fruits in its more common, uncountable sense.

Less veggies. More less fruits and vegetables.

We are wasting and losing tons of fruits and vegetables. Getting rid of some of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables.

Why are the words “less fruit” and “fewer vegetables” used? How do I describe this in a sentence? When Fruit and Vegetables is combined, the rule of proximity tells us that the word nearest to less determines which form we should use.

I’ll assume you’re using fruits in its more common, uncountable sense.

Less veggies. More less fruits and vegetables.

We are wasting and losing tons of fruits and vegetables. Getting rid of some of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables.

Why are the words “less fruit” and “fewer vegetables” used? How do I describe this in a sentence? When Fruit and Vegetables is combined, the rule of proximity tells us that the word nearest to less determines which form we should use.