Each month, the average family of four in King County throws out about 25 percent of the food and drinks they buy, because they bought too much, didn’t store it properly or didn’t eat it in time. That adds up to nearly 400 pounds of food.

King County is encouraging you to limit food waste, with the Food: Too Good to Waste Challenge. Participants track what they toss and get simple strategies to save both food and money. Tips include:

• Don’t buy what you have; shop your fridge and cupboards before you go to the store.

• Freeze food such as bread, sliced fruit or meat that you can’t eat in time.

• Store bananas, apples and tomatoes by themselves; keep fruits and vegetables in different bins.

• Learn what “sell-by,” “use-by,” “best-by” and expiration dates mean.

For more tips, tools and recipes, and information about how to take the challenge, visit recyclefood.com.