ST. CLOUD, Fla. - The popularity of children??s meals are decreasing, especially in QSRs, the Orlando Sentinel reports. In 2011, children??s meals with toys declined 6%, according to NPD Group, which cites perception of such meals as unhealthy, attempts to save money by ordering piecemeal, and adults sharing their meals with kids as reasons for the drop.

Also, experts point to kids eschewing children??s meals at even younger ages. "That's not necessarily what kids today want," said Bonnie Riggs, restaurant analyst for NPD. "They've become more sophisticated in their palettes. They're looking for smaller versions of some of the things mom and dad order."

At Nature??s Table restaurants, children??s entrees such as PB&J and grilled-cheese sandwiches dropped 40%. Parents simply ordered adult meals and split them with their kids, said David Hasselberger, who runs the restaurants.

At Subway, children??s meals have stayed between 2% and 3% of sales, said Curt DiPasqua, who runs more than 300 Central Florida locations. "Kids like to emulate adults," he said. "As soon as they're 5, 6, 7 years old, they want to choose their sandwich off the menu."

Some restaurants are considering adding menus that cater to older children, such as Texas Roadhouse??s "Ranger Meals," despite evidence that orders for those meals are also taking a nosedive, dropping 16% last year.