Objective: to identify and analyze the nutritional recommendations of clinical practice guidelines (GPC) for the ambulatory management of adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Methodology: a systematic review of the literature focused on the identification of recommendations for the ambulatory nutritional management of DM2. Methodological aspects of the PRISMA declaration were followed. The search was carried out in PUBMED, EMBASE and LILACS; websites of developer groups such as NICE, SIGN, MinSalud, WHO and GuíaSalud; and repositories such as BIGG, MAGICapp, Epistemonikos and CMA. The methodological quality of the identified GPC was evaluated using AGREE II. Results: from 1347 references, 49 documents eligible for full-text review were identified. Six CPGs were selected for meeting the eligibility criteria and having a global quality assessment ≥ 6 or > 60 % in the domains of methodological rigor and editorial independence according to the AGREE II instrument. The quality domains vary, with emphasis on the presentation and applicability of the guidelines, allowing us to infer that medical nutritional therapy is key in the management of T2DM, recommending the design of meal plans based on the individual preferences and needs of each patient. Conclusion: diet customization is crucial to achieving the desired results. Discrepancies persist and there is a lack of conclusive evidence on the best nutritional treatment alternative for this pathology.