Short answer: It depends on the vrata you are keeping during Paryushan.

• Upvās / Chauvihār: Not allowed. Only boiled, filtered water during daylight (or no water in nirjal).
• Ekāsan / Biyāsan: Allowed if made very simply and taken only in your one sitting before sunset. Prepare with boiled, filtered water. Avoid night-eating and leftovers.
• Āyambil: Only if made strictly plain in water, without milk, ghee/oil, yogurt, sugar/jaggery, dry fruits, or spices (many traditions also avoid semolina/refined items on āyambil; follow your local maryādā). If your sangh allows wheat in āyambil, use plain farina in water with minimal or no salt.
• General Paryushan maryādā: No root vegetables, no fermented items, no honey, no eating/drinking after sunset. Prefer simple, himsā-minimizing preparations. Check labels on “instant/enriched” packets and avoid additives like gelatin, “natural flavors,” or D3 from animal sources.

Simple way to keep it right

• If fasting: do not take cream of wheat.
• If doing ekāsan: a small, plain cream-of-wheat porridge in water before sunset is generally acceptable.
• If doing āyambil: only the ultra-plain, water-cooked version is potentially acceptable—and only if your local tradition permits refined wheat. When in doubt, choose a simpler grain/pulse boiled in water.

For clear fasting rules and timings, see:

• Paryushan fasting types and rules
• Boiled-water maryādā during Paryushan
• Fasting methods (upvās, ekāsan, āyambil, etc.)