A systematic evaluation of the effects of calcium (Ca) and protein source on food intake and taste aversion (TA) in rats is lacking. The purpose of this research was twofold: (1) to determine if Sprague-Dawley rats display TA to standard rat chow supplemented with 2.4% Ca and (2) to determine if short (24-hour) and long-term (weekly) food intake and weight gain are altered when rats are given access to diets containing various protein sources (casein, whey, dairy, or soy). Rats were assigned to one of two diet groups to examine high (2.4%) versus low (0.67%) Ca or to one of four groups to examine taste preference of diets where the sole protein was one of casein, soy, whey, or complete dairy. A crossover design was used to ensure rats consumed all test diets. Food intake and behavioral sequence of satiety were measured. There was no TA to the 2.4% Ca diet or to any protein source. Food intake did not differ between the two Ca diets or between the four protein diets. The dairy diet attenuated weekly weight gain compared to all other diets except whey. Overall, this study suggests that the levels of Ca and types of protein used in previous work addressing changes in body weight in rats do not influence food intake or trigger TA.