University of North Texas 
The Jain diet expresses Jainism's central concern for the wellbeing of all sentient beings. Notably, in Jainism, these include not only humans, animals, and insects, but also plants and minerals.
Students in the Spring 2025 session of PHIL 3630 Jainism studied the details of the Jain diet in preparation for their food booth at the March 1 Jain Cultural Fair. They learned that
- root vegetables are to be avoided, since harvesting a carrot or onion requires uprooting the entire plant, while harvesting a fruit leaves the plant itself intact;
- broccoli and cauliflower are to be avoided, since their surfaces make it nearly impossible to remove all small insects;
- fruits or vegetables with very few seeds, such as a mango, are preferable to those with many seeds, such as an eggplant, since each seed increases the number of beings harmed by harvesting.
Students also studied and discussed the evolving views on veganism in contemporary Jain communities. Having learned all about Jain dietary guidelines, the students then planned dishes to prepare for the festival. On the day of the event, the local Jain community enjoyed tasting our students' food and learning about the activities of the Jain Studies Program at UNT.
Students in PHIL 3630 Jainism share their homecooked dishes at the Jain Cultural Festival.
Here are some resources for learning about the Jain diet and exploring Jain recipes:
- Entry on Jainism and Food at UNT's Philosophy of Food Project.
- Entries on Jain Food and Jain Recipes at Jainworld.com.
- A statement on Jain dietary guidelines prepared for the World Vegetarian Congress in 2000.
- A recipe book prepared by the Pathshala students at the Jain Society of North Texas.