Grains & Cereals
Rice
Corn (fresh & dry)
Wheat (bread, pasta,noodles)
Amaranth
Oats
Barley
Job's tears
Sorghum
Buckwheat
Millet
Quinoa
Couscous
Teff (Eragrostis tef)
Seeds (all)(Including those not mentioned below)
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Melon seeds
Lotus seeds
Coffee
Sesame seeds
Flaxseed
Beans & Nuts
Beans + lentils (all kinds, both dry & fresh)
Peanuts
Macadamia nuts
Hazelnuts
Almonds
Pistachios
Pecans
Pine nuts
Plus most nuts, if they fell off the tree naturally.
Vegan Protein
Dry soy texture & powder
Dry wheat texture & powder
Tofu
Tempeh
Vegan ham
Vegan sausages
Vegan seitan (if made from foods on the No-pain foods list)
Oils & Fats
Flaxseed oil
Peanut oil
Sesame oil
Avocado oil
Tea tree oil
Sunflower oil
Vegan butter (no olive oil)
Condiments & Sweeteners
Salt
Vegetable broth (if made from foods on the No-pain foods list)
Maggi-sauce
Soya-sauce
Beet sugar (from sugar beet)
Vegan cane sugar (white, brown, caster, raw – in moderation)
Agave juice/ syrup
Pepper
Poblano pepper
Jalapeño pepper
Habanero pepper
Trinidad perfume pepper
Fresno pepper
Portugal hot pepper
Paprika pepper
Sweet banana pepper
Carmen pepper
Shishito pepper
Golden treasure pepper
Tequila sunrise pepper
Jimmy nardello pepper
Italia pepper
Mocha swirl hybrid pepper
Nibbler hybrid pepper
Tangerine dream pepper
Tolli's sweet Italian
Sheepnose pimento pepper
Cherry stuffer hybrid pepper
Slovana pepper
Peppigrande hybrid pepper
Cayenne pepper
Anaheim pepper
Serrano pepper
Chilaca pepper (also called Pasilla pepper when dried)
Aleppo pepper
Chili de Arbol
Aji Mango Pepper
Thai chili pepper
Sichuan peppercorn
Wiri Wiri pepper
Dried Cascabel Chile Pepper (Bola Chile)
And other very tiny sharp peppers.
Vegetables
Chicory
Chinese broccoli
Tatsoi
Kale
Swiss chard (all other types)
Collard greens
Rhubarb
Romaine lettuce
Celery
Chinese celery
Bok choy (white stem)
Cress
Rocket (Arugula)
Watercress
Water spinach
Stinging nettle
Cabbage
Chinese cabbage
Iceberg lettuce
Radicchio
Endive
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Tomatoes
Wild mustard
Mustard greens
Mustard leaves
Cucumber
Asparagus
Artichokes
Seaweed
Dandelion (all colors and the roots)
Arrowroot
Taro
Yams
Cassava
Potatoes & Sweet potatoes (all other types)
Ginger
Ginseng
Kohlrabi
Turnip
Beetroot
Purple daikon radish
Leek
Sprouts (all)
Mushrooms(if safe)
Including young sprouts of coriander, soya beans, pumpkin seeds, etc.
Plus onions, garlic.
Plus onions, garlic.
Herbs & Spices
Parsley
Sage
Marjoram
Cilantro
Spearmint
Dill
Piper lolot leaves (Piper Sarmentosum)
Sawtooth coriander
Anredera cordifolia (Madeira vine)
Rice paddy herb (Ngò ôm/Ngổ)
Coronarium linn (Tần ô)
Thai Basil (Húng quế)
Cardamom
Star anise
Cloves
Coriander seeds & powder
Cumin seeds & powder
Cucurbitaceae family
Carnival squash
Hubbard squash
Delicata squash
White acorn squash
Fabaceae family
Italian flat bean
Pole flat bean
Romano flat bean
Snow peas
English peas (garden peas)
Sugar snap peas
Runner flat beans
All Melons (Including those not mentioned below)
Watermelon
Cantaloupe melon
Galia melon
Canary Melon
Charentais melon
Honeydew melon
Winter Melon
Snap Melon
Santa Claus Melon
Hami melon
Casaba melon
Crenshaw melon
Horned melon
Bailan melon
Bitter melon
Citrus fruits (without the stem or any parts of the stem, such as the fruit head attached to the stem, except for oranges and lemons)
Fruits
Tangerine
Longan
Lychee
Soursop (Mãng cầu xiêm)
Pomelo
Lime
Passion fruit
Bananas
Star fruit
Avocado
Palm dates (if ripe)
Gac fruit (Trái gấc)
Syconium (Sung)
Noni (Trái nhàu)
Apricot
Purple plum
White plum
Red peach
Japanese peach (white and pink)
Plus some berries, if they come easily off the bush, and any fruits that fell naturally off the tree.
New Additions to the No-Pain Foods List
(Updated on February 15)
(Updated on February 15)
Cactus Syrup/ Cactus Sugar (made from prickly pear cactus)
Gourd
Sapodilla
Custard apple
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)
Langsat
Persimmon
Hala tree fruit
Prickly Pear
Pitaya (Dragon fruit)
Hog plum
Lotus root
Fennel fronds
Okra
Salsify
Chayote
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)
New Additions to the No-Pain Foods List
(Updated on February 25)
(Updated on February 25)
Goji berry (Wolfberry)
Star apple
Bell fruit (Water apple)
Chinese jujube (Chinese date)
Raspberry
Vietnamese apple (Indian jujube)
New Additions to the No-Pain Foods List
(Updated on March 3)
(Updated on March 3)
Eleocharis dulcis (Water chestnut)
Vegan chocolate and Cacao
Water caltrop
Lemon grass
Aloe vera
Yardlong bean (Asparagus bean)
Spearmint oil
Please note: This is not an exhaustive list.
Rough rule: If a plant’s body consists mostly of water or fiber, it is most likely painless – with some exceptions.
Rough rule: If a plant’s body consists mostly of water or fiber, it is most likely painless – with some exceptions.
Plants That Feel Pain When Plucked
Note: These are just a few examples –Most plants fall into this category.
Apples
Oranges
Mangoes
Papaya
Pears
Lemons
Kiwis
Pineapples
Strawberries
Blueberries
Coconut
Cashews
Walnuts
Spinach
Vietnamese coriander (Rau răm)
Fish mint (Diếp cá)
Violet shiso (Tía tô)
Mint (Húng lủi)
Radishes (except purple daikon)
Carrots
Pumpkin (including flower)
Eggplant (Aubergine)
Asparagus setaceus
Rosemary
Tea
Honey
Eucalyptus oil
Olive oil
Pepper
Buran pepper
Peppercorns
Hot Fajita pepper
Banana Chili Peppers
Aji Amarillo pepper
Mirasol pepper
Piri Piri (various types & shapes)
Cascabel Chile Pepper (Bola Chile)
Scotch bonnet pepper
Pequin pepper
Tepin pepper
Squash
Sugar pumpkin
Butternut squash
Spaghetti squash
Honeynut squash
Acorn squash
Red Kuri squash
Turban squash
Sweet dumpling squash
Buttercup squash
Green Kabocha squash
Red Kabocha squash
New Additions to the Pain Foods List
(Updated on February 15)
(Updated on February 15)
Jicama (Củ đậu)
Pouteria lucuma
Jackfruit
Bamboo shoots
New Additions to the Pain Foods List
(Updated on February 25)
(Updated on February 25)
Rambutan
Guava
Mangosteen
Durian
New Additions to the Pain Foods List
(Updated on March 3)
(Updated on March 3)
Palmyra Palm (Borassus flabellifer)
Maple syrup
Peppermint & Peppermint oil
Please remember
to get enough vitamins and nutrition by taking vegan vitamins and/or supplements.
to get enough vitamins and nutrition by taking vegan vitamins and/or supplements.
No-Pain food - simple list
Please note: Not exhaustive
Grains & Cereals
Rice
Corn (fresh & dry)
Wheat (bread, pasta,noodles)
Amaranth
Oats
Barley
Job's tears
Sorghum
Buckwheat
Millet
Quinoa
Couscous
Teff (Eragrostis tef)
Seeds (all)(Including those not mentioned below)
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Melon seeds
Lotus seeds
Coffee
Sesame seeds
Flaxseed
Beans & Nuts
Beans + lentils (all kinds, both dry & fresh)
Peanuts
Macadamia nuts
Hazelnuts
Almonds
Pistachios
Pecans
Pine nuts
Plus most nuts, if they fell off the tree naturally.
Vegan Protein
Dry soy texture & powder
Dry wheat texture & powder
Tofu
Tempeh
Vegan ham
Vegan sausages
Vegan seitan (if made from foods on the No-pain foods list)
Oils & Fats
Flaxseed oil
Peanut oil
Sesame oil
Avocado oil
Tea tree oil
Sunflower oil
Vegan butter (no olive oil)
Condiments & Sweeteners
Salt
Vegetable broth (if made from foods on the No-pain foods list)
Maggi-sauce
Soya-sauce
Beet sugar (from sugar beet)
Vegan cane sugar (white, brown, caster, raw – in moderation)
Agave juice/ syrup
Pepper
Poblano pepper
Jalapeño pepper
Habanero pepper
Trinidad perfume pepper
Fresno pepper
Portugal hot pepper
Paprika pepper
Sweet banana pepper
Carmen pepper
Shishito pepper
Golden treasure pepper
Tequila sunrise pepper
Jimmy nardello pepper
Italia pepper
Mocha swirl hybrid pepper
Nibbler hybrid pepper
Tangerine dream pepper
Tolli's sweet Italian
Sheepnose pimento pepper
Cherry stuffer hybrid pepper
Slovana pepper
Peppigrande hybrid pepper
Cayenne pepper
Anaheim pepper
Serrano pepper
Chilaca pepper (also called Pasilla pepper when dried)
Aleppo pepper
Chili de Arbol
Aji Mango Pepper
Thai chili pepper
Sichuan peppercorn
Wiri Wiri pepper
Dried Cascabel Chile Pepper (Bola Chile)
And other very tiny sharp peppers.
Vegetables
Chicory
Chinese broccoli
Tatsoi
Kale
Swiss chard (all other types)
Collard greens
Rhubarb
Romaine lettuce
Celery
Chinese celery
Bok choy (white stem)
Cress
Rocket (Arugula)
Watercress
Water spinach
Stinging nettle
Cabbage
Chinese cabbage
Iceberg lettuce
Radicchio
Endive
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Tomatoes
Wild mustard
Mustard greens
Mustard leaves
Cucumber
Asparagus
Artichokes
Seaweed
Dandelion (all colors and the roots)
Arrowroot
Taro
Yams
Cassava
Potatoes & Sweet potatoes (all other types)
Ginger
Ginseng
Kohlrabi
Turnip
Beetroot
Purple daikon radish
Leek
Sprouts (all)
Mushrooms(if safe)
Including young sprouts of coriander, soya beans, pumpkin seeds,
etc.
Plus onions, garlic.
Herbs & Spices
Parsley
Sage
Marjoram
Cilantro
Spearmint
Dill
Piper lolot leaves (Piper Sarmentosum)
Sawtooth coriander
Anredera cordifolia (Madeira vine)
Rice paddy herb (Ngò ôm/Ngổ)
Coronarium linn (Tần ô)
Thai Basil (Húng quế)
Cardamom
Star anise
Cloves
Coriander seeds & powder
Cumin seeds & powder
Cucurbitaceae family
Carnival squash
Hubbard squash
Delicata squash
White acorn squash
Fabaceae family
Italian flat bean
Pole flat bean
Romano flat bean
Snow peas
English peas (garden peas)
Sugar snap peas
Runner flat beans
All Melons (Including those not mentioned below)
Watermelon
Cantaloupe melon
Galia melon
Canary Melon
Charentais melon
Honeydew melon
Winter Melon
Snap Melon
Santa Claus Melon
Hami melon
Casaba melon
Crenshaw melon
Horned melon
Bailan melon
Bitter melon
Fruits
Tangerine
Longan
Lychee
Soursop (Mãng cầu xiêm)
Pomelo
Lime
Passion fruit
Bananas
Star fruit
Avocado
Palm dates (if ripe)
Gac fruit (Trái gấc)
Syconium (Sung)
Noni (Trái nhàu)
Apricot
Purple plum
White plum
Red peach
Japanese peach (white and pink)
New Additions to the No-Pain Foods List
Cactus Syrup/ Cactus Sugar (made from prickly pear cactus)
Gourd
Sapodilla
Custard apple
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)
Langsat
Persimmon
Hala tree fruit
Prickly Pear
Pitaya (Dragon fruit)
Hog plum
Lotus root
Fennel fronds
Okra
Salsify
Chayote
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)
Goji berry (Wolfberry)
Star apple
Bell fruit (Water apple)
Chinese jujube (Chinese date)
Raspberry
Vietnamese apple (Indian jujube)
Eleocharis dulcis (Water chestnut)
Vegan chocolate and Cacao
Water caltrop
Lemon grass
Aloe vera
Yardlong bean (Asparagus bean)
Spearmint oil
We will update when possible with more No-pain and Have-pain
foods. This is not a complete list.
“Every time you eat, please bless the food. Pray to God,
‘Thank You, God; thank You, all the Masters,’
thank all the noble beings who bless your food,
who lend you some merit so that you can eat good food,
have good digestion and be healthy.
Even the no-pain plants, you also should thank them.”
‘Thank You, God; thank You, all the Masters,’
thank all the noble beings who bless your food,
who lend you some merit so that you can eat good food,
have good digestion and be healthy.
Even the no-pain plants, you also should thank them.”
— Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan)
