Here are the main food rules for Jains, in simple points.

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1. Basic Principle

All Jain food rules come from Ahimsa (non‑violence) – trying to harm the least possible number of living beings, including tiny insects and microorganisms. ( jainknowledge.com)

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2. Always Avoid (for all Jains)

1. All non‑veg food

- No meat, fish, chicken, eggs, egg‑products. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. Root / underground vegetables (kand‑mool)

- Potato, onion, garlic, carrot, beetroot, radish, sweet potato, yam, ginger, turmeric root, etc. - Reason: uprooting kills the whole plant and disturbs many tiny lives in the soil. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. Honey

- Taking honey harms / destroys many bees and small life‑forms. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. Alcohol and intoxicants

- Wine, beer, liquor, and similar items are not allowed. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. Fermented and high‑micro‑life foods (many Jains avoid or limit)

- Strongly fermented items like some pickles, vinegar, yeast‑breads, some cheeses, idli‑dosa batter, dhokla batter, etc. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. Sprouts / new‑life foods (for many stricter Jains)

- Sprouted grains and beans, and very fresh green pulses, are often avoided because they contain many living beings (anantkay). ( jainknowledge.com)

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3. Timing Rules

1. No food after sunset (very important for Jains)

- To avoid harming insects active in the dark and because food has more micro‑life at night. - Ideally finish eating a little before sunset. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. Water rules (for more observant Jains)

- Water should be filtered/boiled. - Often taken only in daylight, especially during Paryushan / Chaturmas or when observing special vows. ( jainknowledge.com)

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4. What Jains Generally Eat

1. Pure vegetarian food (without eggs)

- Grains: wheat, rice, jowar, bajra, etc. - Pulses/dal: moong, chana dal, toor dal, etc. (not sprouted). ( jainknowledge.com)

1. Vegetables that are not roots and not leafy (for stricter times)

- Example: pumpkin, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, cucumber, tomato, etc. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. Fruits, dry fruits, nuts

- E.g. banana, apple, grapes, pomegranate, dates, almonds, cashews, etc. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. Milk and milk products

- Many lay Jains take milk, ghee, simple sweets made from permitted ingredients. - Some modern Jains reduce or avoid dairy because of himsa in the dairy industry; this depends on personal and sect tradition. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. Simple, fresh, same‑day food

- Food is ideally cooked fresh the same day, eaten in daylight, and not stored as leftovers. ( jainknowledge.com)

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5. Stricter Periods: Paryushan / Chaturmas

During Chaturmas, Paryushan, Das‑Lakshan, the rules become stricter:

• No root vegetables.
• No green leafy vegetables (saag/patta) on those days.
• No fermented foods (curd, idli, dosa, yeast‑bread, vinegar, etc.).
• No outside / restaurant food; eat simple home‑cooked Jain food only.
• Often only boiled water, only in daylight.
• Many keep ekasana (one meal a day) or different types of fasts. ( jainknowledge.com)

You can read more here:

• What food is acceptable to Jains
• What shall we not eat
• Foods Jains should eat and avoid

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6. Small Digambar / Shwetambar Note

• Both follow the same basic principles: pure vegetarian, no roots, no honey, no alcohol, no food after sunset, etc.
• In special periods (Paryushan/Das‑Lakshan, Chaturmas), details like which vegetables, how many meals, boiled‑food‑only, etc. can differ by sect and local tradition.

For daily life, if you remember these three rules, you are mostly aligned with Jain food discipline:

1. Eat pure vegetarian, without eggs.
2. Avoid root vegetables, honey, alcohol, fermented and night food.
3. Prefer simple, fresh, same‑day food in daylight, with boiled/filtered water.