Kim Fields on Organic: Don't Panic

When I was pregnant, my husband and I decided that we were going to feed our baby organic food. But the whole organic thing really kicked in when it was time to start selecting baby food. From all of the research my husband and I did, we learned there are things in some of the foods that have contributed to our kids developing so rapidly. We've all heard of these 10-year-old girls with D-cups and boys with beards, right? So we figured if we feed Sebastian foods that are as natural as possible—no pesticides, no hormones, no genetically engineered ingredients—there was a lesser likelihood of our son having those issues. We just wanted to do everything we could to promote our child's health and well-being. For what it's worth, our son has never really had a cold—just a cough.

Of course, we're not crazy sticklers about it—it's not organic or nothing at all. There are certain brands that aren't organic that are made without preservatives or artificial flavors or colorings. Plus, it's just not realistic to raise a kid totally organic. It wouldn't be fair to wait till a child is 12 to introduce him to french fries and chocolate. And we allow him to have treats and non-organics once in a while, but we do everything in moderation.

You don't have to be rich to do organics these days. A lot of mainstream brands make organics so you don't need to buy all of the fancy stuff. Plus, you don't have to go to two different grocery stores to buy them, which, of course, is a great time-saver. So since organics are better for your kid, and they're just as accessible and not terribly expensive, I really think they're the best choice for our children.

In addition to being mom to baby Sebastian, you may remember Kim Fields as Tootie on the long-running TV show The Facts of Life.