Short, tradition-faithful guide. Local maryada and your declared vows take priority.

Allowed in Paryushan (when not fasting)

• Timing and water

- Eat only in daylight; no eating or drinking after sunset. - Drink only boiled and properly filtered water, and only during daylight.

• Category rules (both traditions)

- Strict Jain vegetarian only. - No root vegetables (kand-mool): potato, onion, garlic, carrot, beet, radish, yam, sweet potato, ginger, turmeric, etc. - No green leafy vegetables (saag/patra) during the festival days. - No fermented or live-culture foods: curd/yogurt, buttermilk, cheese, paneer, yeast/bread, idli-dosa batter, vinegar, kombucha, etc. - No mushrooms/fungi/yeast, no sprouts, no honey, no alcohol. - No leftovers; eat simple, freshly prepared food.

• What you may eat simply

- Grains and millets: rice, wheat, barley, jowar, bajra, semolina, poha. - Pulses/dals: moong, toor, chana, urad, masoor (not sprouted). - Non-root, non-leafy vegetables where allowed locally: gourds and pumpkins (lauki, tori, tinda, ash gourd, pumpkin), tomato, cucumber, capsicum, okra, eggplant, etc. Many sanghs avoid all vegetables and prefer only grains/dals—follow your guru and local rule. - Fruits: permitted if clean, not overripe; cut fresh and eat promptly. - Fats and seasonings: fresh ghee or plant oils; rock/sea salt; dry spices like cumin, coriander seeds, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom. Avoid root-derived spices (ginger, turmeric). Hing is generally avoided. - Sweets: simple preparations without fermentation; sugar or jaggery as per local practice. - Milk is traditionally allowed; many keep the vrata stricter by avoiding all fermented milk products and sometimes paneer/cheese as well.

Tradition notes

• Shwetambar (8 days Paryushan): strong observance of no leafy greens for all days, with the other rules above; many take ekasana/beyasana or boiled-food-only on selected days.
• Digambar (Das-Lakshan, 10 days): same spirit of austerity; roots/leafy/fermented/sprouted foods avoided; many take one very plain meal a day or observe upvas as per vow.

Essence

• Keep it minimal, non-violent, and pure.
• Eat less, only in daylight; avoid roots, leaves, and fermentation.
• Use the saved time for pratikraman, svadhyaya, dhyana, and kshamapana.

Helpful simple references

• What to eat during 8 days of Paryushan
• What foods are allowed in Paryushan
• Food items allowed in Paryushan