Juan-Carlos Cruz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juan-Carlos Cruz
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| Born | 1962 (age 62–63) |
| Nationality | Dominican American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | California Culinary Academy 1993 |
| Occupation | Chef |
| Years active | 1994–2010 |
| Spouse(s) | Jennifer Campbell |
| Culinary career | |
| Cooking style | Low calorie |
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Television show(s)
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Juan-Carlos Cruz (born around 1962) is a Dominican American chef. He used to host TV shows like Calorie Commando and Weighing In on the Food Network. Cruz became known for his focus on healthy, low-calorie cooking. This change happened after he lost 43 pounds on a TV show called Discovery Health Body Challenge. Before that, he was a pastry chef.
Early life and education
Juan-Carlos Cruz was born in the Dominican Republic around 1962. He has two older brothers. When he was three years old, his family moved to the United States. They settled in California. He learned to cook by watching famous chefs like Graham Kerr, Jeff Smith, and Julia Child on television.
In 1993, Cruz finished his studies at the California Culinary Academy. He focused on making pastries there. After graduating, he found work in Los Angeles.
Career
After finishing culinary school in 1993, Juan-Carlos Cruz started working at the Hotel Bel Air. He was a pastry sous-chef there. He made delicious pastries for many famous people. Some of these included Jack Nicholson, Oprah Winfrey, and Julia Roberts.
Working with pastries meant Cruz often gained weight. In 2000, he appeared on a TV show called "Discovery Health Body Challenge." He successfully lost 43 pounds on the show. This experience inspired him to change his cooking style. He started focusing on low calorie meals. He even called himself the "Calorie Commando."
In 2004, he began starring in his own Food Network show. It was named "Calorie Commando," after his nickname. The next year, in 2005, he also started hosting "Weighing In" on the Food Network. Because of his success, he wrote a cookbook. It was called "The Juan-Carlos Cruz Calorie Countdown Cookbook" and came out in 2006.
Personal life
Juan-Carlos Cruz was married to Jennifer Campbell. They met each other when they were in high school.
Works by Juan-Carlos Cruz
- with Martha Rose Shulman. The Juan-Carlos Cruz Calorie Countdown Cookbook: A 5-Week Eating Strategy for Sustainable Weight. New York: Gotham Publishing (2006). ISBN: 1592402585
