Answer

You are right that during Paryushan, the ideal spirit is to minimise ahiṃsā even toward ekendriya jīvas as much as possible.

In many traditional Jain households, people avoid not only root vegetables but also reduce or avoid many other green vegetables during Paryushan, especially fresh leafy vegetables. So if a post gives the impression that “all non-root vegetables are freely recommended,” that would be too simplified.

Explanation

In Jain Dharma:

• Root vegetables are avoided because uprooting them destroys the whole plant and may harm many subtle living beings.
• Green vegetables also contain ekendriya life, so eating them is not considered completely free from hiṃsā.
• During Paryushan, the aim is not merely to follow a food list, but to practise greater restraint, awareness, and compassion.

However, practices vary by family, sect, region, and level of observance. Some people observe:

• Only avoiding root vegetables
• Avoiding green vegetables also
• Eating simple grains, pulses, and dry foods
• Doing ekāsan, biyāsan, upvās, āyambil, or other tapas

So saying “non-root vegetables are allowed” may reflect a basic household-level rule, but it does not represent the stricter or more spiritually careful observance followed by many Jains during Paryushan.

Spiritual Understanding

Your understanding is aligned with the deeper spirit of Paryushan: to reduce violence, attachment, taste, indulgence, and carelessness.

The focus should be:

• Less harm
• Less consumption
• Less attachment to taste
• More self-discipline
• More inner purification

Takeaway

A more accurate way to say it would be:

During Paryushan, at minimum Jains avoid root vegetables, but those observing more carefully also minimise or avoid other vegetables, especially green/fresh ones, to reduce ekendriya ahiṃsā and practise greater restraint.