That is what Australian women's cricket vice-captain Alex Blackwell did last year, when she existed for five days on $10 worth of food to raise awareness about people living in poverty.

The project, called Live Below the Line, left Blackwell feeling depressed and cursing herself for not budgeting for teabags.

"I was really struggling at work, to keep up, and around time for a tea break. I had to have hot water with a slice of lemon," she said.

"I regretted buying cage eggs. Felt bad buying them but I'm not sure I would have managed without my morning omelette."

Blackwell, who is in Melbourne captaining NSW in a series of limited overs matches against Victoria this weekend, undertook the project at a time she was not in training. She raised $1600 for educational programs in Papua New Guinea. "So it was worth it," she said.

She stressed that it was at a time of no training, as the diet would have been inadequate for her regular physical demands.

What Alex Blackwell ate each day:

Breakfast

Omelette with coriander and onion

Lunch

Pasta with pumpkin potato and carrot stew

Afternoon tea

Hot water with slice of lemon

Dinner

Dahl or pumpkin potato and carrot stew with pasta