ABSTRACT Dietary patterns (DPs) are conditioned by a large number of factors, including physical activity and sedentary lifestyle, however, there is limited information on their interaction. This study aimed to identify DPs and their associations with physical activity and sedentary behavior among university students from Mexico. We conducted a cross-sectional, observational and analytical study. The participants were university students from Southwest Mexico. A total of 419 participants who did not suffer from any disease that affects oral nutrition or that prevented them from performing physical activity were included. DPs were generated from a principal component analysis and associations were analyzed using a logistic regression model. Three DPs were identified: “western”, “prudent” and “traditional”. The traditional pattern was significantly associated with high physical activity (OR: 2.78; 95% CI: 1.34-5.75) and was a protective factor against sedentary lifestyle (OR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.13-0.93). The results show that a high physical activity and a lower sedentary lifestyle were associated with a healthier dietary pattern in the study population. It is important to implement interventions towards nutrition, physical activity and sedentary behavior for the population being studied.