(Sorry. Describing a food as "a protein" or "a carb" is a weird pet peeve of mine. Those are things contained in foods, not food categories. And I know plenty of diet plans use those terms, and it annoys me both in terms of scientific accuracy and in terms of the weird relationship to food that I've seen it foster. Not that using those terms makes everyone have a weird relationship to food -- just that my most significant experience with a food system that uses those classifications was a pretty bad one, that involved an attitude toward food that I found really damaging.)

(And I'll stop talking now, because this is getting way more into psychology than nutrition.)

Protein and vegetable aren't mutually exclusive categories.

I literally don't know how else to ask my question. What is edamame? Is it considered a vegetable? If not, what is it considered?

It's a legume. Which is a type of vegetable biologically, since it's a part of a plant. But usually not considered a vegetable culinarily, since legumes are really a whole separate category in terms of how you cook them. It contains a lot of protein. It also contains carbs. And a little bit of fat.

What is edamame? Is it considered a vegetable? If not, what is it considered?

Yummy? Okay, maybe not helpful. But it is!

It's a legume.

So not a vegetable. I'm assuming, since you didn't say yes, it is a vegetable.

I'm frustrated, because I literally cannot think of another way to phrase what seemed to me like a yes-or-no question.

See edit. "Vegetable" is used a lot of different ways, most of them contradicting each other. It's a vegetable, or part of a vegetable, by some of those definitions.

I consider it a vegetable. But if I needed some protein and I had edamame, that would do. They are a wonder food that can fit multiple niches.

I would not consider peanuts a vegetable, even though they are also legumes. I'm pretty sure that's wrong-headed of me, but there it is.

There's probably a tariff ruling that could clear this up.

Fair enough. I'll just eat it and consider it not a Twinkie and therefore a win.

(Honestly, in my quest to eat more vegetables, when I can't figure out is something even qualifies as a vegetable, it makes me want to give up.)

(I learned long ago that the corn-and-potatoes-aren't-REALLY-vegetables-and-carrots-barely-count ship has sailed. I was hoping other things that grow in the ground would be more clear cut.)

You can make a quest to eat more plants?

Well, Teppy, do you consider other beans veggies? I would say I'm more likely to consider edamame a veggie because (a) it's green and (b) sometimes it's in veggie mixes, but generally I'd think it is in the "legumes" category, more?