Objective To identify the main dietary patterns in type 2 diabetes patients and study their association with glycemic indexes. Methods This is a cross-sectional study carried out in a diabetes treatment reference institution located in the city of Fortaleza (CE). Two R24h were applied, as well as 12h fast blood glucose tests and anthropometric assessments in 188 diabetic patients. The principal components factor analysis method was applied together with a Varimax orthogonal rotation method to identify dietary patterns. The Poisson Regression and the Spearman coefficient were used to test the association with glycemic indexes. Results A hundred eighty eight diabetic patients were evaluated, of which 51.1% patients had decompensated glucose values. Five main dietary patterns were identified: traditional Brazilian, energy-dense, infusion and wholegrain cereal, sandwich and dairy, and healthy diets, which explained 37.2% of the total variance in intake. A negative correlation with glucose was found for the traditional Brazilian diet (p=0.018; r=-0.173). Conclusion Out of the five identified dietary patterns consumed by the type 2 diabetes patients studied, a higher adherence to the traditional Brazilian dietary patterns resulted in lower blood glucose levels.