Inspiration

EBT benefits haven't kept pace with 30% food price hikes, leaving Minnesota single parents food insecure and overwhelmed at checkout.

What it does

Sofa syncs your EBT balance and kids' preferences to auto-generate overlapping-ingredient meal plans with zero decision fatigue.

How we built it

React + Tailwind frontend, FastAPI backend, and Anthropic Claude for onboarding and preference normalization—tied together with an algorithmic ingredient-overlap engine.

Challenges we ran into

We struggled with integrating AI and the backend.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're proud that Sofa targets an overlooked demographic and utilizes user preferences to establish the best meal plans for them.

What we learned

State-specific SNAP rules demand a flexible rules engine, and the importance of onboarding dramatically outperforms forms for time-pressed parents.

What's next for Sofa

Map integration with meal plan suggestions and expanding community resource options for families.

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