Jonathan Bloom, the author of "American Wasteland," said in his book that the average American family of four throws out about $1,350 of food each year. A 2009 study from researchers from the National Institute of Health estimated that about 40 percent of food is wasted on its journey from farms to our stomachs.

Much of the food wasted end up in landfills, producing methane gas. A study in the American Chemical Society's journal Environmental Science & Technology estimated that the United States could save 350 million barrels of oil a year by eliminating food waste - 2 percent of annual energy consumption.

Meanwhile, Feeding America observed that 37 million Americans a year were seeking food assistance.

(Source: Celebrating Abundance, But without the Waste [CBS News])