Veggies That "Don't Count"

We kind of had the opposite thing. While peas and corns actually are grains, not vegetables as the term is usually used, they would act as the vegetable portion of the meal when served. So if you think of a balanced plate as grain/starch, vegetable, and meat, as was understood in my family, you could have meat, potatoes (sometimes rice, my parents got adventurous it being the '80s and all), and (for example) asparagus or, instead, meat, potatoes and peas/corn. Also bread, usually. For a fancy meal there'd be salad too, at other times salad could sub for the vegetable.

I've always thought of carrots as simply a vegetable, no question about it, for some reason (even after I stopped following my family's broader understanding). Maybe because you eat them raw so often. Other root vegetables (like winter squash) seem to have more of a mixed position in my mind.

I only recently discovered I liked parsnips--never did before--and yes, they do have a surprising number of calories (I mean, compared to vegetables, not cheese). I've been making this celeriac, carrot, parsnip mix and the parsnips always cause the calories to add up vs. the winter squash I'd normally serve to meet the same function. Maybe they are just dense, so heavier for how much it appears you are serving.

Corn is technically a grain... http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/corn-october-grain-of-the-month
Peas are legumes which are beans... http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/vegetables-beans-peas.html
Carrots and potatoes are roots but still considered vegetable. Just root vegetables. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_root_vegetables

Potatoes are very high in carbohydrates and carrots high in sugar which makes them kind of bottom of the list when you're looking for "good" veggie options. If you're in love with root veggies there are "healthier" options like sweet potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas and turnips...

Is that what you're thinking?

This is the best description from a horticultural standpoint, except potatoes are tubers (kind of the same thing as a root).

From a calorie-counting standpoint, the only thing I consider a vegetable is something that is virtually zero calories with a lot of fiber.

OP makes a good point. Since they're all plants and they're all more calorie dense than leafy greens what exactly are they? I eat them all and log them all. If your going to eat a half cup of peas your going to get more calories than if you eat a half cup of spinach.