I found it helpful, when fighting early meat cravings, to remind myself that my stomach is not my master, and to make it about more than just dietary, like “If I can’t resist a single hamburger, how will I ever [difficult task that I wanted to accomplish]?” But I imagine you’re already familiar with that sort of thing since you’ve successfully controlled your diet so long.

I don’t know if my tastes have changed because I’ve been vegan so long, but the following are some things I’ve learned that may be helpful to you:

• There is no product that tastes “exactly like meat” or “exactly like cheese”. There are quite a few products that have similar consistencies and taste a little like them. After you’ve been veg*n long enough to forget exactly what the real thing tastes like, they’re good enough. However, there’s no shortcut for reaching that state. You just have to suffer through the cravings.
• Frozen shelled edamame fresh from the freezer satisfies my cravings for raw meat. I think it’s because it’s a good source of protein.
• Sometimes margarine on saltine crackers tastes just like Brie. Don’t ask me why.
• There’s a grain called Quinoa (”KEEN-wa”) that is the only grain with a whole protein. Unfortunately, it tastes like ass. A lot of people like it, I’m not sure why.
• My favorite margarine is Earth Balance in the yellow tub.
• If there’s a Whole Foods, Wild Oats or New Seasons in your area, scope it out. Trader Joe’s is also pretty good. I’m crazy about their canned vegetarian chili.
• Try Nutritional yeast. It tastes a little like cheese, I like dumping huge quantities of it on pasta. It’s a good source of protein and B-vitamins, according to the Wikipedia article I googled just for you.
• Depending upon how strict you want to be, you may or may not care that most “vegetarian” cheese contains milk derivatives. Read ingredients carefully. There are only a couple brands of vegan cheese. I recommend Follow Your Heart. It’s really fatty, but it’s tasty and it melts.
• If you visit in the bay area, go to a place called Pizza Plaza in Oakland. They have the best vegan pizza I’ve ever had. Second best is PRI (Pizza Research Institute) in Eugene, Oregon.
• The only thing that’s really hard to get is B12. You can take supplements, but it’s also frequently found in fortified soymilk. I recommend Silk for chocolate soymilk and Kikkoman Pearl for vanilla or unflavored.
• I tend to not get enough iron, but that may just be me. I take supplements when I start feeling lethargic.
• If you plan to be fairly strict you may want to invest in some sort of ingredient dictionary. It’s a pain to carry with you, but eventually you build up a repertoire of foods that are inoffensive and you don’t need it anymore.
• Cane sugar is typically refined through a charcoal made of animal bones. Whether or not it’s vegan is a hugely divisive issue. People will claim it’s impossible to avoid, although I can tell you first hand that is false. It is, however, a big pain in the ass.
• Even if a label says “vegan”, read the ingredients.
• Some products that are vegan and don’t test on animals will carry this symbol. Good brands include Jason and Kiss My Face.
• If possible, ask about food before going to parties or potlucks. Bring something to share that you know is acceptable. Bonus points if you can play it off like you’re being thoughtful.
• Cheap vegan waterproof shoes are something of a holy grail. Be prepared to settle to settle for two of those three qualities.

That’s all that comes to mind. I’d be happy to help if I can. My e-mail address is kittenchicken0398@yahoo.com. Best of luck.