NPR: Calorie Counts Are Coming To The Menu NPR reports that calorie counts are starting to pop up on menus as chains begin to comply with the the Food and Drug Administration's new nutritional labeling regulations.

The new regulations, which are part of the new federal law overhauling health care, require chains or vending machine operators with more than 20 locations to prominently label the calorie counts of the foods they sell.

The requirement for posting calories went into effect March 23. And over the weekend we noticed our local Panera was already in compliance. We opted for a Power Breakfast Sandwich (360 calories) over an Apple Crunch Muffin (450 calories) as a result.

CBS News: Black Rice: Low-Cost Grain Packs Bigger Antioxidant Punch than Blueberries Researchers at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge have new research showing that black rice has substantial health benefits. Black rice contains more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, which have long been known to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

"'Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants,' researcher Dr. Zhimin Xu, associate professor of food science at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge, said in a written statement."

Food in the News appears weekly in the Food & Drink section. Have a story link you'd like to share? E-mail jessicawebster@annarbor.com.