Mention McDonald's and what springs immediately to mind? Big Macs, chips and coke? That's certainly always been my impression of the fast food giant.

But now the company appears to be ushering in a new era of healthier, more adventurous food as an alternative to the usual fattier suspects.

I never thought I would see the day when McDonald's would sell a Pasta and Chicken Salad, boasting that it contained only 266 calories and less than five per cent fat. Or that it would shortly be offering children Fruit Bags containing apple slices and grapes instead of fries, which it says will be equivalent to one of the Department of Health's five-a-day recommended intake of fruit and vegetables. But these are just some of the additional items available this spring under McDonalds' New Taste menu (slogan: 'Things That Make You Go MMMM').

The company says tastes are always changing, and the menu changes mean there is always something for everyone.

While I can envisage many responsible parents clucking approvingly at the healthier options, what do the kids think?

I took my daughter Gabrielle and her friend Josh to the restaurant in Blake Street, York, to test their reaction to the dietary revolution.

Not wanting to completely ruin their evening, we did a deal: while they would have to taste some of the New Tastes items, they could still have some traditional burger/nugget and fries fare too.

There was only a small queue at the self-service counter and the service was reasonably friendly and also brisk...as I suppose you might expect in a fast food outlet. I discovered after I had taken my tray to the table that the guy had forgotten to give me the cappuccino I had ordered and paid for. He apologised when I told him, and quickly got me my drink without asking to see my receipt.

The atmosphere in the restaurant was, well, like any other McDonald's. Busy, lots of kids, fluorescent lighting, hard-wearing tables fixed to the floor. But then you don't go to a place like this expecting soft lighting and romantic music, with candles and flowers on every table.

I bought the pasta and chicken salad for £1.99. It consists of penne pasta with Italian-style chicken breast, tomato, red onion, spinach and basil, accompanied by a red pesto dressing. To give New Tastes a thorough taste test, I also asked for the Chicken Salsa Flatbread for £2.48. At 480 calories, this was a chicken fillet served with a salsa sauce and lettuce, inside a tomato and herb flatbread. I also ordered the Toasted Ham and Cheese Melt for 99 pence (239 calories), a flatbread filled with cheddar cheese, melted mozzarella and ham. Not a bad choice, although if McDonald's truly wants to be offering something for everyone, I think it should include some new veggie options.

I ran the pasta pasta the bambinos first. "Yuk," said Gabrielle, grimacing after bravely plucking up the courage to lick it. "It makes me feel sick." Josh wasn't that keen either. But I really quite liked it. Admittedly, it came as a surprise to discover it was chilled and in a plastic container, reminding me rather of the pre-prepared food in an M&S fridge. But I guess I didn't really expect there to be a cordon bleu chef behind the fries frier, chopping up onions and tomato. And it tasted pretty good, with plenty of vegetables, chicken and flavour as well as pasta.

The chicken fillet was in quite a spicy sauce, so I didn't offer it to the children but quite enjoyed it myself. Gabrielle didn't fancy the ham and cheese melt either, but it won the thumbs-up from Josh.

However, I could tell the children's hearts weren't really in this brave new world, and so I let them tuck into a good old Happy Meal, comprising chicken "McNuggets" and Fries, with coke, for £2.19. Josh reckoned the nuggets had improved on his last visit, when they had allegedly been "quite stringy."

Then Josh had a Creme Egg Flurry for 99p - vanilla ice cream, covered in a yellow creme just like you get inside a Cadbury Creme Egg, and topped by Cadbury chocolate fragments.

I asked Josh if he would prefer this, or apple and grapes. This, he said. But my daughter said she would quite like the fruit instead.

So what was my verdict on McDonald's new venture? Well, I think it's a canny initiative that will prove a success. I don't think they'll ever get many kids voluntarily switching from burgers and nuggets to pasta and salad. But I do think they'll get a fair few parents happy to make the change for themselves. And that should help keep the Mctills ringing into the future.

McDonald's Restaurant, 14, Blake Street, York. Tel: 01904 647693.

Mike visited on Thursday March 20.

Food: improving

Service: fast

Value: very good

Ambience: cheap and cheerful

Disabled access: yes

Updated: 12:51 Saturday, March 29, 2003