(CNN) -- Niki Gianni was 11 or 12 when she found a video on YouTube called "Meet Your Meat." Saddened and disgusted by the footage from a slaughterhouse, the Chicago girl announced she was no longer going to eat meat. Her parents were less than thrilled. 

"When she first said she wanted to be a vegetarian, we were just looking at each other and we said, 'We can't be switching meals for you. You are not going to get your protein.' We were not educated in the health benefits," said Gianni's mother, Julie Gianni. 

While many parents worry whether their vegetarian or vegan children will receive adequate nutrition for their growing bodies, the American Dietetic Association says such diets, as long as they are well-planned, are appropriate for all phases of life, including childhood and adolescence. "Appropriately planned" vegetarian or vegan diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases, the dietetic association says. 

"You can really feel the difference when you are eating something from the ground and something from a factory," said Niki Gianni, an animal activist who became a vegan shortly after embracing the vegetarian lifestyle. 

10-year-old: Why I became vegetarian in first grade 

Now an 18-year-old college freshman, Niki Gianni said her eating habits expanded her palate and turned her away from processed foods. Her food choices also influenced her family: Her mother is now a vegan and her father and sister are vegetarians. 

The number of vegetarians in the United States is expected to increase over the next decade, according to the dietetic association. A vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease, and vegetarians also appear to have lower overall cancer rates, lower blood pressure and lower rates of hypertension than nonvegetarians.  QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. What video made Niki decide not to eat meat?
2. What video got Niki to stop eating meat?
3. Niki quit eating meat due to which video?
Q2:
1. Will the number of vegetarians likely go up or down in the next decade?
2. Will the next decade probably see the number of vegetarians go up or down?
3. Will there probably be an up or down tick in people who don't eat meat in the next ten years?
Q3:
1. Who predicts an upcoming uptick in vegetarians?
2. Who thinks the number of people who don't eat meat will increase?
3. Who imagines that more and more people are going to stop eating meat?
Q4:
1. How many health issues are vegetarians at a lower risk of death for?
2. What's the number of health problems that being vegetarian decreases the risk of death for?
3. How many health problems are vegetarians less likely to die from?
Q5:
1. What is one health issue that vegetarians are at a lower risk for?
2. What's a health problem vegetarians are less likely to die from?
3. Name a health problem less likely to kill a vegetarian than a meat eater.
Q6:
1. Did Niki's parents understand how healthy being a vegetarian is?
2. Were Niki's parents aware of the health benefits of vegetarianism?
3. Were Niki's parents educated with respect to the health boost vegetarians have?
Q7:
1. Is being vegetarian okay for any age group?
2. Is it alright for people of all ages to be vegetarian?
3. Is a vegetarian diet suitable for all ages?
Q8:
1. Can children be vegetarian if planned carefully?
2. Is a carefully planned vegetarian diet suitable for children?
3. Is it okay for kids to go veggie if their diet is well planned?
Q9:
1. Is animal rights a cause that Niki supports?
2. Does Niki think animal rights are important?
3. Does Niki believe in the rights of animals?
Q10:
1. What is Niki's current age?
2. How old is Niki right now?
3. What is Niki's age at present?
Q11:
1. Is Niki a student?
2. Is Niki in school?
3. Does Niki go to school?
Q12:
1. Does Niki eat McDonalds?
2. Is McDonalds a part of Niki's diet?
3. Does Niki ever consume food from McDonalds?
