Jain Dietary Meaningful Eating (2024)

FAQs

Jain Dietary Meaningful Eating? ›

A Jain diet is anchored in the principles of non-violence and compassion. It promotes a plant-based lifestyle, with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, while abstaining from root vegetables, onions, and garlic.

A Jain meal might consist of rice and dry beans, lentils or chickpeas cooked in an Indian curry sauce. This will be served with water, a bread roll and a dessert.

In general, they follow a vegetarian diet, strictly avoiding meat, seafood and eggs. Jainism also prohibits eating any plant that grows under the soil – such as onions, potatoes, carrots and garlic – since uprooting them could kill insects that thrive in that ecosystem.

¹ The maha-vigai are generally avoided entirely by Jains. They are directly implicated in violence, which is why they are avoided entirely. Butter is also considered a maha-vigai because infinite micro-organisms grow within fresh butter.

Jains should not eat broccoli. Some Jains do eat. There are also Jains who eat root vegetables. However, it is advised in Jainism to not eat root vegetables, brinjal or eggplant, mushrooms, cauliflower, and unknown or non-native fruits and vegetables.

Thus, Jains avoid honey, fruits and vegetables with little seeds (eggplant, figs), underground roots (potatoes, carrots, onions, etc.), and mushrooms. Milk and milk products are allowed but alcohol is forbidden. Jain monks and nuns follow every more stringent dietary restrictions, than lay persons.

The Jain vegetarian diet is based on nonviolence. We don't eat meat, fish, eggs, root vegetables, or animal ingredients. To start, Jainism is based on the principle of ahimsa, or non-violence. This principle applies to our mental, physical, and verbal actions towards all living things.

The Jain cuisine is completely lacto-vegetarian and also excludes root and underground vegetables such as potato, garlic, onion etc., to prevent injuring small insects and microorganisms; and also to prevent the entire plant getting uprooted and killed.

Cooking and Consumption

Among the Jain friendly ingredients we use are pumpkin, squash of many varieties, green beans, snap peas, green peas, cabbage, lettuce, quinoa, rice, mung bean, chickpeas and many other types of beans, papaya, mango, apple, corn, dates, tomatoes and peppercorn.

Jain ascetics take a great vow (mahāvrata) of nonharming, a vow that requires minimizing harm to all organisms, including one-sensed organisms. As such, the prohibition against root vegetables is rigidly followed by Jain monks and nuns, as is the practice of avoiding harm to elemental and microscopic organisms.

Why can't Jains eat spinach? ›

● No Root Vegetables or Spinach

Jainism categorizes root vegetables as Saadhaaran Vanaspatikaaya, or organisms with one body but an infinite number of souls. By avoiding the consumption of root vegetables and therefore reducing the number of souls harmed, one better adheres to the central tenet of Ahimsa (nonviolence).

According to Jainism, one cannot eat fruits and vegetables with seeds. Almost all fruits and vegetables like tomato, cucumber, bottle gourd, etc., have seeds.

Vegetarianism: Jains strictly adhere to a vegetarian diet. They avoid all animal products, including meat, fish, poultry, and seafood. Additionally, Jains also abstain from consuming eggs. No root vegetables: Root vegetables such as potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, radishes, and ginger are avoided by many Jains.

Traditionally cooking or eating at night was discouraged because insects are attracted to the lamps or fire at night. Strict Jains take the vow (called anastamita or anthau) of not eating after sunset.

WHY CAN'T JAINS EAT FIGS/ANJEER? Jaina seers in all their wisdom, way before laboratory techniques, tests and equipments were available claimed the 5 Udumbara fruits as containing innumerable minute life forms and thus food prohibited for a true practicing Jain.

How to cook without onion or substitute Onion IN INDIAN Recipes : (Jain vegan) Omit the onion and use no substitute if used in small quantities. In recipes where onion makes up a larger volume of the dish, use celery, zucchini, fennel, white mushrooms, opo squash(lauki) or another neutral vegetable or squash.

Jainism is more restrictive than veganism, because it is prohibited to use foods that involved killing a plant completely. Of course, meat and animal-derived foods are also against Jainism. Unlike veganism, the following foods are prohibited for Jains: Potatoes.

Meal without meat, prepared and spiced in the Indian style. Jain meal (vegetarian) Prepared in accordance with the customs of Indian Jainism: No use of meat, egg products, onions, garlic, ginger, mushrooms or root vegetables.

What do Jains eat then? Perhaps surprisingly, milk and cheese are part of Jain cuisine. Some Jains are vegans but it's not required by the tenets of Jainism.

Bread consists yeast, which are the living organism, hence bread should not be eaten by a Jain who really follows Jainism.