In practice, most Jains follow a strict vegetarian (lacto‑vegetarian) diet, not a fully vegan diet.

Basic Jain position:

• Always: No meat, fish, eggs or any killing of animals.
• Generally allowed: Milk, curd, ghee, paneer, etc. – so the typical Jain diet is vegetarian with dairy (lacto‑vegetarian). ( jainknowledge.com)
• Additionally avoided (beyond normal vegetarian): root vegetables (potato, onion, garlic, carrot, etc.), honey, many fermented foods, alcohol, and often mushrooms, to minimize himsa (violence) to tiny living beings. ( jainknowledge.com)

What about veganism?

• Some modern Jains, out of concern for violence in the dairy industry, choose to be vegan (plant‑based, no dairy) as a stricter form of ahimsa.
• But this is a personal or community choice, not a universal rule. Traditionally, scriptures and acharyas describe a vegetarian (with dairy) discipline for lay Jains, not mandatory veganism.

So:

• Traditional norm: Jain = strict vegetarian (with extra Jain restrictions).
• Growing trend: A number of Jains try to be vegan Jains, but it is not yet the standard for everyone.

You can read a simple explanation of Jain food habits here: