If you adopt some healthy shopping strategies, you can brunch and lunch at the mall with impunity, according to Joseph Piscatella, president of the Institute for Fitness and Health in Tacoma, Washington, and author of The Fat-Gram Guide to Restaurant Food (Workman Publishing, 1998).

"McDonald's can coexist with a healthy cholesterol level," Piscatella says. "You simply need to have a fast-food strategy in order to make preemptive strikes on the highest-fat entries."

But too few people, it seems, think before they order -- or even have time to. These "impulse buys" can have major health implications, especially when you look at the statistics. According to a study by the American Dietetic Association, 52% of mall shoppers aren't just going for that killer sale on Nine West pumps but also to appear in "court" to chow down.

You're probably thinking you need to enter a 12-step program to wean yourself off the greasy spoon. Not really. Because we've dispatched a cadre of nutritionists to the food court to gather intelligence on fast-food strategies that won't crimp your taste buds. Here's what they turned up.

Know thy weakness. Research shows that most people will dutifully survey a fast-food menu with seeming objectivity, only to order their old favorites. "If you know you are a burger man or a salad woman, then aim for the leanest offering in the category," says North Carolina nutrition consultant Connie Frey, M.P.H., R.D. A plain single burger at Wendy's, for example, contains 360 calories and 16 grams of fat; McDonald's standard burger has 280 calories and 10 grams of fat. A salad with chicken has on average from 3 to 9 grams of fat (go light on the dressing, though -- a packet of ranch can add as much as 37 fat grams).

Mix 'n match. Don't put your fate in the greasy hands of one fast-food restaurant. "Do what you would do when you're Christmas shopping: Find the best bargain -- calorically and nutritionally in this case," Frey says. Order a Chili Cheese Burrito (330 calories, 13 fat grams) from Taco Bell, a garden salad from McDonald's with fat-free dressing, and a 6-ounce orange juice for a meal that won't send your cholesterol through the roof. Sure, you'll have to wait in two lines, but your heart and waistline will thank you for your patience.

Make it a meal instead of a snack. "Snacks easily add up to meals -- without the nutrition," Adler says. "For smarter eating, go with one well-balanced meal instead of several high-fat, high-calorie snacks during the course of the day." The proof is in the pie: One slab of Dutch Apple Pie at Burger King and a medium Coke will cost you 570 calories and 14 fat grams. Two Chocolate Chunk cookies from Subway and a medium Sprite add up to around 630 calories and 20 grams of fat. You'd do better nutritionally with that regular burger from McDonald's (280, 10) and 8 ounces of 1% milk (105, 3).

Go small. Although the fast-food industry hinges on the philosophy that bigger is indubitably better, resist the Super Size urge and order the junior or small size across the board, Piscatella suggests.

Go for the extras. But be picky. Naturally low-fat veggies and condiments like mustard, ketchup, and salsa can add both flavor and nutrition to sandwiches, burritos, and pizza.

Learn to share. Splitting your Big Mac or box of Chicken Tenders and small fries with a willing friend will cut the damage to your waistline in half.

Strike a balance. If you occasionally give in to your weakness, whether it be a Big Mac, KFC, or a slice of meat-topped pizza, "don't make it worse by ordering fries or a fattening shake," Adler says. "The key is to combine the high-fat item with lean choices, like a side salad instead of fries, and orange juice, low-fat milk, or diet soda instead of a full-fat shake."

Most of all, don't feel guilty about the odd lapse. "You don't wake up one day and find yourself overweight because you had a Whopper the previous one," Piscatella says. "Much more important is how you eat over weeks and months."