September 29 is the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. It is a day to remind us about food waste. Here are some facts and easy tips to help you waste less food at home.  

• People in the U.S. throw away $165 billion worth of food every year.
• This equals about $60 of food wasted per person every month.
• Almost half of the food in the U.S. is never eaten.
• Just 15 percent less food waste is the equivalent of feeding 25 million people.
• The most wasted foods are fruits, vegetables, bread, and seafood.

• Plan Ahead: plan your meals so you only buy what you need.
• Eat What You Buy: eat the food you buy before it goes bad.
• Store Food Correctly: store food the right way to keep it fresh longer. You can find information on how to store different foods at SavetheFood.com.
• Use Up Leftovers: you can find recipes online for using leftovers in new and fun ways.

For more tips, visit Marion County’s website to read about the Save the Food program.