Glutamate or its ionotropic receptor (iGluR) agonists, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxale propionate (AMPA), and kainate (KA) elicit feeding when microinjected into the lateral hypothalamus (LH) of satiated rats. In the present study we investigated the contributions of AMPA and KA receptors (AMPARs and KARs) to feeding initiation. Intense feeding was elicited by LH injection of RS-AMPA (1 and 10 nmol) but not by the isolated, inactive R-AMPA enantiomer (1 and 10 nmol). Further, LH pretreatment with either the non-selective AMPAR/KAR antagonist, 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX, 4 nmol) or the selective AMPAR antagonist, GYKI 52466 (10 nmol), suppressed AMPA-elicited food intake and, when combined, blocked AMPA-elicited food intake. These findings suggest that LH AMPARs mediate AMPA injection-elicited feeding with a possible contribution by KARs. In contrast, CNQX or GYKI 52466 injected into the LH at the onset of the nocturnal period or into fasted rats did not suppress the feeding produced by either condition. RS-AMPA injected into the LH of fasted or nocturnal feeding subjects elicited eating in both conditions; however, the magnitude of the increase was greater in fasted rats. These data suggest that selective stimulation of AMPAR in the LH is sufficient to elicit feeding. In contrast, the results did not provide evidence that AMPAR stimulation is necessary for deprivation-induced or nocturnal eating; however, they did suggest that modulatory interactions may exist between these receptors and these forms of naturally occurring eating behavior.