Ekadasi and Caturmasya Guidelines
 
The essence is to eat simply, so that one can spend as much time as possible on spiritual activities.

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Foods That Can be Taken All Days of the Year, Including Ekadasi and Caturmasya:

All Fruits (Fresh and Dried)
All Nuts and Oils Made from Nuts
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Cucumber
Radish
Squash (But No Loki)
Green Papaya
Lemon
Jackfruit
Avocado
Olives
Coconut
Buckwheat
All Sugars
All Milk Products
Exceptions:
Pure Milk & Yogurt During on Caturmasya
Sweets with Starches on Ekadasi 

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Spices That May Be Used on Ekadasi:
Turmeric
Black Pepper
Ginger
Salt (taken from new or clean package)

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 Foods Restricted During Ekadasi:
Tomatoes
Eggplants
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Bellpepper
Peas
Chickpeas
All Types of Beans – including products made from beans
(Papadams, Tofu, Tempeh, Grain Beverages, etc.)
Indian Vegetables:
Karela (Bitter Lemon)
Loki
Parmal
Toroi
Kunli
Drumsticks
Okra (Lady Fingers)
Banana Flower.
All Leafy Vegetables:
Spinach
Salads
Cabbages
Leafy Herbs – Like Parsley, Curry Leaves, Neem Leaves, etc.
Grains:
Millet
Barley
Farina
Dalia
Pasta
Rice
Corn
All Types of Dahl
All Types of Flour Made from Grains and Beans– Like Rice Flour, Chickpea Flour, Urad Dahl Flour, etc.
Starches from Corn
Grains and Products Made from and Mixed with these Starches– Like Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Certain Soft Drinks, Custard, Certain Yogurts, Puddings, Cream Cheese, Sweets, Candies and Tapioca.
Oils made from Grains:
Corn Oil Mustard Oil Sesame Oil etc.
And Products Fried in These Oils: – Like Nuts, Potato Chips, and Certain Snack Foods.
Honey
Spices NOT Used on Ekadasi:
Sesame Seeds
Cumin Seeds
Hing
Fenugreek
Mustard Seeds
Tamarind
Fennel
Celery
Poppy Seeds
Kalonji Seeds
Ajwain Seeds
Cardamom
Nutmeg
Cloves

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Never Eat:
Onions
Garlic
Meat
Fish
Eggs

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For brahmacaris:
Shaving Head and Cutting Nails is done on Full Moon Days.

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 Breaking an Ekadasi Fast 
If you have observed a complete fast (without even water), you do not need to break it with grains. You can break it with caranamrita or fruit.
 
If you have observed Ekadasi by eating fruit and vegetables etc., then it should be broken the following day by taking grains at the time specified in the Vaisnava Calendar.
 
Mahadvadasi is observed like Ekadasi.