Different Food Can Have Different In-Game Effects in 'Pokémon Scarlet' and 'Pokémon Violet'

You might have noticed a lot of food-related mechanics in games recently. While the concept of using food as in-game items has existed throughout the history of gaming, many newer sequels of time-honored franchises have been using them in their latest installments. Kingdom Hearts III had a confounding cooking minigame where you could create special items with Remy from Ratatouille. Even Xenoblade Chronicles 3 features food-related buffs. Then there's Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet.

Food as in-game items in a Pokémon title is certainly nothing unique, but the latest mainline entry to Nintendo's popular monster-catching franchise places a lot of emphasis on food-related mechanics this time around. There are a number of buffs and effects that food can provide, and we're here to break down all of them. Check out what food can do for you in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet adventure.

In the all-new Paldea region, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the local cuisine. You can check out various restaurants in the area or even set up a picnic in the open world to grab a bite to eat. But in this new Pokémon adventure, eating food can do a whole lot more than just fill your tummy.

Certain foods can grant you "Meal Powers," which are special buffs and effects that can benefit your experience. There are lots of different Meal Powers that you can use.

Here's a list of different Meal Powers and what they mean for your Pokémon adventure:

• Catching Power: increases catch rate of a certain type of Pokémon
• Egg Power: increases spawn rate of eggs in your picnic basket
• Encounter Power: increases spawn rate of certain Pokémon types
• Exp. Point Power: increases EXP when battling certain Pokémon Types
• Humungo Power: increases spawn rate of large wild Pokémon
• Item Drop Power: increases drop rate of items from wild Pokémon
• Raid Power: increases rewards from Tera Raid Pokémon
• Teensy Power: increases spawn rate of small wild Pokémon

Eating out in Paldea cities can grant you all sorts of Meal Powers, but making your own food can help you achieve your specific Pokémon goals. To that end, players are able to make their own sandwiches to eat. There are dozens of different ingredients to choose from, and each will affect the kind of benefits you receive from your Meal Powers. The better your sandwich, or the more of a particular ingredient you use, the stronger the effects will be.

Shortly before the games' launch, players already discovered sandwich recipes that help increase the spawn rate of certain types of Pokémon in the wild. Reportedly, this can help mitigate a lot of your Shiny Hunting efforts.

Just like in real life, you can never have too much good food in the latest Pokémon games. It's time to see which meals and recipes work best for you on your adventure!

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet are now available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.