The standard is to eat a variety of meals to get in all of our nutrients and supplements daily.
However, is this how the body works in reality?
Is there some sort of chart or guideline to show how much of a nutrient we need and how long it takes to deplete on average?
Can we structure meals based on nutrients for 2 days or even longer?
Yes, it’s necessary to consume balanced nutrients daily.
Suppose, you consume meat on a daily basis and we all know that meat is a highly nutritious food and it helps our body to grow properly. But, it will not fulfill your body’s need for fruit’s nutrition. If you want a healthy life, you need to eat balanced diet daily.
You can calculate your body’s BMR value to know the required calorie of your body. If you consume food according to the BMR value, your weight will be the same. If you want to lose some extra weight, you can take a little less amount of calorie then your body need. If you want to gain weight, you have to consume more calorie than the BMR value. This is how you can structure your diet.
Yes and no. A balance of macronutrients (fats, protein, carbs) should ideally be eaten consistently on a daily basis. Eating only olive oil one day, only chicken the next, and only peaches on day 3 won’t “hurt you” necessarily but you’re going to be lacking nutrients and feeling quite unsatisfied and hungry. Fat and protein keep us full (and provide vitamins and minerals), fruits and vegetables provide fiber, carbs, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates provide quick energy, fiber, and vits and mins.
As far as storage of nutrients:
Water-soluble vitamins (B vits, Vit C) are not stored in the body, so we are directly relying on regular dietary intake to keep high enough levels for our body to use.
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) stay in the body for longer periods of time. Assuming nutrient status is already normal/not chronically deficient, this is why the RDA for fat soluble vitamins is lower than water soluble ones.
Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen, fat is stored as triglycerides, and protein is stored as amino acids in the liver and as muscle.
Minerals (like zinc, calcium, magnesium, etc) differ widely. Some are stored in bone, some are excreted quickly much like water-soluble vitamins.
More info here on how all these are stored: http://www.hepctrust.org.uk/node/150