同じです。Both meaning is "I like eating". Grammatically the former is sligh~tly polite but really not much difference in its meaning.　と私は思います。 私も食べるの大好きです；-)

Depending on what you want to nominalise, grammar will recquire "no" or "koto" exclusively, and sometimes (like here) you have the choice without any big difference as 'Kazoo Yokohama' pointed in Japanese just above. Still, bear in mind that basically 'koto' sort of puts distance between the speaker and what he says whereas 'no' is more personal and involves directly the speaker in his speech. For example you say : (watashiwa) karega hahano heyani hairu nowo mita = I was him go into mum's room , but you cannot use 'koto' because to see is something that you sense through your perceptions and it is hard to objectify such a thing. You will use 'no' in sentences about your own feelings too but will tend to use 'koto' with expressions that describe another person's feelings to show you're an external point of view (after all you cannot possibly really know what another person is thinking or feeling so you won't use the same expressions and 'koto' will help objectify to put distance : kanojoga korareta noga ureshii (i am happy she could come) > karewa kanojoni aeta (noga)/kotoga yorokondeiru (he is happy he could meet her - i am not in his head so i cannot say ureshii but use the verb yorokobu.koto is not awkward but native speaker are welcome to leave contradictory comments ^^ Then you have a whole bunch of to-be-learned-by-heart expressions for which you don't have a choice : _ verb-kotoga-aru/-dekiru (i does happen that I... / I can...) _verbTA-kotoga-aru (I have already done in my life...) _verb-kotowa-nai (there's no need to) etc... Hope these hints will help but grammar is just a rule you can bend once you've mastered it, right ? ;)

加増さんの答えは合ってる！意味があんまり変わらないんだ。

The different is that you liking eating,and you like to eat. The first sentense means:"you like delicious food." 你喜欢美食。 The second means:"You like to eat." 你只是喜欢吃，不管好吃与否，可见你是一个饥不择食的人。