Here is a simple “Jain foods list” for lay (ghar‑ghar) Jains.

1. Always allowed (for most Shwetambar & Digambar household Jains)

a) Fruits (fresh, seasonal, not over‑ripe)

• Apple, banana, orange, sweet lime, pomegranate, grapes
• Papaya, mango (in season), guava, pear, etc.

b) Above‑ground vegetables (non‑root)

• Lauki / doodhi (bottle gourd), tinda, pumpkin
• Turiya / turai (ridge gourd), sponge gourd
• Parval, tinda, tori, snake gourd, ivy gourd (tendli)
• Bhindi (lady finger/okra), capsicum, cabbage, beans, peas (as per local tradition)
• Baingan (brinjal/eggplant), cucumber, tomato, etc.

c) Grains & cereals

• Wheat, rice, jowar, bajra, barley, maize (corn), etc.

d) Pulses & dals

• Chana dal, moong dal, tuvar (arhar) dal, masoor dal (where allowed)
• Other dals and beans (not sprouted, usually).

e) Nuts & seeds

• Almond, cashew, pistachio, walnut, peanuts (moongfali)
• Sesame (til), sunflower seeds, etc.

f) Dairy (for most lay Jains)

• Milk, curd, buttermilk, ghee, butter, paneer, etc.

(Some modern Jains choose to reduce/avoid dairy, but traditionally it is allowed.)

g) Basics & spices

• Oil, salt, sugar, jaggery
• Non‑root spices like cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric powder, hing (asafoetida), etc.

(Fresh root forms like fresh turmeric/ginger are not allowed.)

You can see a similar summary here

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2. Always not allowed in Jain food

a) Non‑vegetarian items

• Meat, fish, eggs in any form.

b) Honey

• Not allowed because it involves himsa to bees and many small lives.

c) Alcohol & intoxicants

• Wine, beer, liquor, drugs, etc.

d) Root / underground vegetables (bhool‑bhajee) Because uprooting kills the plant and disturbs countless tiny lives in the soil:

• Potato, sweet potato, yam
• Onion, garlic, leek, spring onion, shallots
• Carrot, beetroot, radish, turnip
• Fresh ginger, fresh turmeric, taro/arbi, cassava, etc.

(In short: anything growing mainly under the ground – roots, bulbs, tubers, rhizomes.)

e) Fungi

• Mushrooms, truffles, etc. (many Jains avoid as they contain/invite many small lives).

f) Udumbara group fruits

• Certain kinds of figs like anjeer, gular, banyan fig, peepal fig, etc., as they are considered to contain/invite minute beings.

More details:

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3. Generally avoided / restricted (especially for more careful practice)

• Fermented foods (old idli/dosa batter, vinegar, alcoholic vinegar, kombucha, kefir, etc.)
• Very old, stale, or leftover food; food cut long in advance
• Eating at night / after sunset (many lay Jains try to eat before sunset)

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4. Short summary

Jain food =

• Pure vegetarian (no meat, fish, eggs, honey, alcohol)
• No root vegetables and mushrooms
• Prefer fresh, simple, day‑made food
• Taken with feeling of ahimsa and gratitude.

If you say whether you want:

• a basic home list, or
• a strict (like Paryushan / upvas) list,

I can format a very small ready‑to‑print chart for your kitchen.