• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, July 23, 2013

Taco Bell announced that it will stop offering kids' meals early in 2014.

Consumer nutrition advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) said it views Taco Bell's move as a step forward, in that it will take pressure off parents to buy kids' meals just to get the toys associated with them.

However, Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed told USA Today that, while the move will "empower parents," the decision primarily reflects the chain's focus on positioning the brand for Millennials. Offering kids' meals is inconsistent with an "edgy, twentysomething brand," he said.

Creed also pointed out that Taco Bell hasn't promoted its kids' meals on TV or in social media for more than a dozen years.

Currently, a kids' meal with a Crunchy Taco, Cinnamon Twists and a small beverage costs about $2.84 in most markets, reports USA Today. That will increase to $3.17 when purchased a la carte -- and most combo meals will cost more than that.

Jack-in-the-Box dropped toys from its kids meals in 2011. A suit by CSPI against McDonald's, alleging that the toys offered with its Happy Meals constituted deceptive marketing, was dismissed by a judge last year.