Before she left home, Jasmine Atwell, of Boynton Beach, Fla., wanted to make sure she’d have something to eat during her five weeks at the National High School Institute for journalism. Atwell, a life-long vegetarian, sent director Roger Boye an email, asking what kind of meatless options were available in the cafeteria.

“He told me, ‘We have a really big salad bar,’” she said. “But he didn’t tell me it was going to be gross.”

Cherubs like Atwell bring a range of eating habits with them to Northwestern University. And when they don’t find what they want to eat in the cafeteria at 1835 Hinman Ave., they get creative.

Ellery Kauvar, of Scarsdale, N.Y., is an orthodox Jew. He only eats kosher meat.

“I just figured I wouldn’t eat any meat,” he said. “I’d just come here and eat fruit.”

Kauvar and a few other cherubs ordered in kosher food one night from the nearby town of Skokie, but it was “very, very expensive,” he said. They only tried it once.

Atwell also learned to improvise. At home, she cooks for herself and goes to the grocery store with her mom. At the program, she went to Whole Foods by herself and bought weekly supplies.

“I feel like such a big girl,” she said. “I had to learn how to budget my money. At first, I called my mom and asked, ‘Is this too much to spend on X, Y and Z?’ At home, food just shows up, and I didn’t realize how it got there or what it costs until now.”

Robert Duffley, of Germantown, Tenn., said meat at Hinman is “mostly really shady,” and instead tried new items.

“I became an instant fan of bubble tea,” he said. “Crunchy peanut butter in a bowl with raisins is delicious. I like meat, but here, when given the choice between pork scallions and Cap’n Crunch, I’ll choose Cap’n Crunch.”

Cherubs learned to make do and make friends in the process. Living with strangers can be awkward at first, but shared experiences ease students into community life.

“My roommate and I hate the cafeteria, so we go out to eat a lot,” Atwell said. “Pretty much everyone hates the food, so it’s something to talk about.”

Kauvar said that he bonded with another kosher cherub over their eating restrictions.

“I feel like I’m not the only one suffering a loss,” he said.