Donna Falconnier is a nutrition and wellness educator for University of Illinois Extension. Falconniers? areas of expertise include nutrition, food safety and sanitation, community nutrition, food chemistry, and health education. She provides educational resources, training and consultation to community organizations and government agencies. She has been a member of the Extension staff since 1976.
Falconnier has a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Illinois University where she majored in home economics education and specialized in foods and nutrition. In 1984 she received a Master of Science degree in foods and nutrition and in 1995 a degree in dietetics from Eastern Illinois University.
Falconnier is a registered dietician with the American Dietetic Association. Her other professional affiliations include Eastern Illinois Dietetic Association, Illinois Dietetic Association and National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Extension programs and workshops address issues that have been identified by community leaders for particular target audiences and/or the general public.
Examples of programming that is currently available include:
Health and Wellness
Dining with Diabetes: A three-part series designed to help control diabetes through meal planning and nutritious meal preparation. Each session includes tips for managing diabetes, reducing fat and sodium, controlling total carbohydrates and increasing fiber and calcium.
Diet and Cardiovascular Disease: The program explains how fat and cholesterol in the diet affect cardiovascular health. Dietary modifications to achieve the Dietary Guidelines are emphasized.
Hypertension, Diet and Lifestyle: Participants explore lifestyles that contribute to hypertension, a preventable risk factor for stroke and heart disease. Information is offered on selecting foods and preparing meals low in sodium.
Healthy Living After Age 50: Eating is one of the pleasures in life at any age. The nutritional needs of the mature person are not fundamentally different, however the aging process gives each age group special characteristics. This program provides a look at some of the dietary needs of people, as they grow older.
Calcium-A Lifetime Concern: Between the ages of 50 and 80, women lose about 30% of their skeletal mass. Many factors affect bone health -- including exercise, dietary factors, and heredity. Discussion includes what can be done to improve bone health through diet and exercise.
Maintaining a Healthy Body Composition: This program looks at the relationship between nutrients, exercise, and body composition, and suggests ways to improve physical condition by lowering your percent body fat. Guidelines for setting up an exercise plan are included.
Food Safety and Sanitation
Seven Effective Habits for Home Food Safety: This program takes the basic rules of safe food handling and applies them to a variety of day-to-day situations that consumers face, both at home and away from home.
Food Safety at Community Festivals and Events: Participants will learn to comply with local and/or city ordinances, maintain high sanitation standards, and temperature control for foods for sale to the public.
Food Service Food Safety Refresher Course: A five-hour refresher course that meets the re-certification requirements for holders of the Illinois Department of Public Health?s (IDPH) Food Safety Managers Certificate.
Biotechnology and Our Food Supply: Presentation includes discussion on what is biotechnology, how it?s uses affect consumers, farmers and agribusiness, how biotechnology is being used in food production, and what FDA food safety initiatives are being implemented.
Food Preparation and Buying
What Will We Eat Today: Feeding Young Children: Parents and caregivers of young children learn to plan and prepare nutritious meals and snacks for young children. Information is included on how to deal with children that are picky eaters.
Eating Right When Eating Away From Home: Whether we're eating in restaurants, at someone else's home or at a social gathering, most Americans "eat out" often. This lesson will help you take dietary advice and apply it as you choose restaurants and as you select foods to eat wherever you're eating out.
Read the Label To Add Nutrition to Your Table: A lot can be learned about a food product just by reading the label. Through lecture and activities participants becoming familiar with food label information and learn how to use this information to make more effective nutritious buying decisions.
Supermarket Survival Skills: Participants learn how to stay within their food budget by menu planning, making shopping lists, and utilizing store specials. Discussion also includes how to identify strategies employed by businesses to encourage consumer spending.
