One of these is South African streamer, Barrie Forrester (the Caramel Gamer or as his character ‘Lovemore Dlamini’).
The campaign aims to introduce veg-powered mods to promote healthier eating choices in the gaming world, and further encourages the community to join the movement to end veggie inequality.
Research conducted by Knorr found that in many games, meat-based items are often chosen for quick healing during main quests, while fruits and vegetables provide less health restoration.
For instance, in one game, eating meat gives a +15HP boost, whereas consuming cabbage only offers +10HP. In some games, the difference is more pronounced, with a beef steak providing +552HP compared to a bean stew's +61HP.
The campaign launched with a stream on Twitch by Blevins and the streamers that highlighted the issue to the gaming community and championed veggie equality by playing and demonstrating the veggie-specific mods that have been available in various games.
A series of streams followed, including the Caramel Gamers Fortnite stream, where over 750,000 viewers were confronted with the reality that it is much harder to survive on veggies alone in-game.
The gaming community have shared their thoughts on the movement, with players expressing their support, “We are all here for veggies!” with another agreeing that “… them veggies give superpowers”.
“Our goal is to enhance the attractiveness and benefits of consuming vegetables in games, ensuring they are as rewarding as other food options in the gaming realm," says Forrester.
“We have been on this journey to empower consumers to adopt better eating habits that are not only beneficial for themselves but also the planet,” says Janine van Rooyen, nutrition business lead from Knorr South Africa.
“Now, by extending our efforts into the realm of gaming, we are leveraging innovation to champion the irresistible goodness of vegetables in the real and virtual world,” adds van Rooyen.
The campaign further features a petition which encourages gaming enthusiasts to sign in support of enhancing the role of vegetables in video games, aiming to create a more balanced approach to in-game nutrition.
Up to the date of publication, more than 19,000 petitions had been signed.
Get involved and sign the petition.
