I looks like when people hear that legumes are not vegetables they assume they are somehow worse. The truth is, legumes are not vegetables, they are better. Legumes are important part of Mediterranean diet which “includes proportionally high consumption of unprocessed cereals, legumes, olive oil, fruits, and vegetables”. Vegetables are good for you but without legumes there’s no Mediterranean diet and it’s proven that this diet has many health benefits. So eat your vegetables but even more importantly, eat your legumes.