WASHINGTON — However you celebrate the December holidays and New Year’s, these celebrations probably involve a lot of food. Here are some tips from the United States Department of Agriculture on how to reduce food waste.

If you’re hosting a party, plan your menu and make a grocery list. And before you go to the store, check your refrigerator and your pantry to see which ingredients you already have.

If you have leftovers, know how to store them and when to dispose of them. The USDA’s website has information about leftovers and food safety. USDA also an app that has tips on storage times of several types of food.

Lastly, you can donate excess food or grocery to a local nonprofit organization that collects food.

The USDA said that the average family spends $1,500 on wasted food each year.

Each year, roughly one-third of the food produced for human consumption worldwide goes to waste, and in the U.S., most of it (95 percent) ends up in landfills.