The Environmental Social Science Research Group (ESSRG) is researching the food choices and dietary habits of single-parent families as part of the PLAN’EAT research project. In a co-creation workshop, together with the parents involved, we developed a year-round lifestyle programme in collaboration with the Budapest Bike Maffia, which we have launched in March 2025.
The aim of the programme is to help single mothers to develop healthier and more sustainable eating habits, targeting the High Impact Behaviours that we have identified: eating more vegetables, fruits and legumes – which will have a positive impact on their quality of life in the long run. Based on our previous research, we have found that stress, fatigue and financial burden are the primary barriers for the parents, thus we will focus the micro-interventions on creating a supportive community to help them connect with their fellow parents, while learning and developing skills in producing food in harmony with nature, self-sufficiency and healthy eating.
From March 1. to December 13. 2025, 15 single-parent families will participate in the comprehensive lifestyle program. In the 2400 square metre garden near the border of the 11th district, parents and their children will prepare and then take care of the vegetable beds, and plant tomatoes and other crops throughout the year. As well as caring for (and harvesting) the plants, we’ll also have lots of exciting activities, courses and games.
At the first session in March, after an intention-setting activity, the children went on a glove-treasure hunt in the garden, then together we shovelled and wheelbarrowed soil for beds; learned how to make beds, sow and cover; and all the while learned about regenerative farming, mulching, and producing food in harmony with nature.
On the second occasion, we created mini greenhouses and snail traps, and learned the basics of weeding and pruning.
Come along on the rest of our journey to find out what else Budapest Bike Maffia Farm and its community has to offer!
You can read more about the PLAN’EAT project on the project’s website.