A growing awareness of the biological context of learning and revelations of long-delay learning in the feeding system have stimulated psychologists' interests in the areas of poison avoidance and food aversion. However, relatively little attention has been given to the intimately related area of dietary selfselection. This review covers an already existing body of literature on dietary selection from a diversity of fields including psychology, nutrition, physiology, and agriculture. It is organized methodologically along two lines: the method of diet presentation and the method of inducing a nutritional need. The bulk of the existing literature consists of demonstrations of dietary selection. Future studies should proceed beyond simple demonstration to elucidation of underlying mechanisms and factors effecting food selection by animals. Suggestions are made for research on dietary selection by psychologists from a number of areas, including comparative, perceptual, and physiological psychology.