Objective <p>To evaluate dietary practices according to the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population and to identify factors associated with these practices among students attending a university restaurant in Maceió, Alagoas.</p> Methods <p>This was a cross-sectional study conducted from September 2023 to April 2024, in which socioeconomic, lifestyle, anthropometric, and dietary practice data were collected using a scale based on the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population. The dependent variable, dietary practices, was categorized as “adequate” or “inadequate.” Descriptive analyses, Pearson’s χ² test, and Poisson regression with robust variance were performed to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios, with a significance level of <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05.</p> Results <p>A total of 291 students participated in the study, most of whom were aged 18 to 29 years; the majority were female (56.0%), and 49.5% were quota students. Overall, 70.8% of the participants presented inadequate dietary practices. The mean dietary practices score was 37.6 points (± 8.9). The highest prevalence of inadequate practices (<i>n</i> = 110; 37.8%) was observed among quota students. In the crude analysis, being a quota student was associated with inadequate dietary practices (<i>p</i> = 0.039); however, this association lost statistical significance after adjustment. No variable showed a statistically significant association with the outcome.</p> Conclusion <p>Most university students presented inadequate dietary practices, highlighting the need for strategies to promote healthy eating aligned with the recommendations of the <i>Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population</i> within the university context.</p>