Protein per meal describes how you spread your daily protein across individual meals. The question behind it: is it worth distributing protein evenly over the day instead of eating it in one or two big servings?
The guideline
Schoenfeld and Aragon (2018) suggest about 0.4 g of protein per kg of body weight per meal as a practical strategy, spread over at least four meals. For the off-season, Iraki et al. (2019) recommend splitting the daily amount over 3 to 6 meals.
Example: At 80 kg, 0.4 g per kg gives about 32 g of protein per meal. Over four meals that is 128 g a day, or 1.6 g per kg, the low end of the usual daily range. These numbers are a worked example.
The 30-gram myth
You often hear that the body can only use 30 g of protein per meal. That is too simple. Larger servings are absorbed and used as well. Several protein-rich meals across the day are still a practical strategy, because they make the daily target easier to reach and keep you full.
What really matters
Your daily total matters more than the distribution. If your schedule only allows three meals, you do not need to worry as long as you get enough protein over the day. Distribution is fine-tuning, not the foundation.
In practice, it helps to build each main meal around a protein source: meat, fish, eggs, dairy such as skyr or cottage cheese, legumes or tofu. That way you reach your daily total almost in passing. Protein powder is simply a convenient food, not a must. The protein calculator shows the amount per meal for your weight and number of meals.