You can eat the fruits of the plant without killing the whole. It's an interesting read, but do plants have consciousness? Some religions have thought so. Some cultures believed even the rocks have it. At a certain point though it becomes a matter of survival and you don't need to eat animals to survive. Jains have an interesting take on things.
"Jains only accept such violence in as much as it is indispensable for human survival, and there are special instructions for preventing unnecessary violence against
plants. Strict
Jains do not eat root vegetables such as potatoes, onions, roots and tubers as they are considered ananthkay."
"Jain vegetarianism is practiced by the followers of
Jain culture and philosophy. It is one of the most rigorous forms of spiritually motivated diet on the Indian subcontinent and beyond. The Jain cuisine is completely lacto
vegetarian and also excludes 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. It is practised by Jain ascetics and lay Jains."