The larval zebrafish undergoes a switch from a lecithotrophic state to a free-feeding animal during its fifth day of development, so by the time its yolk supply is depleted it must be able to digest and absorb nutrients from exogenous food sources. The ability to precisely control timing of the first meal is an advantage of this model as processing of dietary lipids by enterocytes can be observed without interference from lipids absorbed from previous meals. Additionally, because the larva retains its transparency for several weeks after it becomes free-feeding, it is possible to perform live imaging experiments with either single meals or ongoing defined diets in the same system.