Why VCs are paying you to eat for free.

Has anyone regaled you with the details, plus pictures, of their latest Blue Apron meal recently? No? Wait until tomorrow. It’s just a matter of time.

Startup services like Blue Apron, which deliver all the ingredients for a healthy meal, plus recipes, are hot! hot! hot! Venture capital investors are throwing big money at them. (Top meal-kit companies attracted $477.6 million in 2015, more than triple their 2014 haul.) And since their main marketing tool is offering free trial meals, the VCs are essentially feeding anyone who might later consider spending about $10 a person for the groceries to make a meal.

In my trial with Blue Apron, I belonged to the group of customers that happily looked forward to the next big package. But sadly, the novelty soon wore off. For all the time, packaging and dirty dishes, I ended up with only 2 meals at a time. Plus, $10-$12 per person per meal actually takes me pretty far at the market (Each box has the makings for three meals. Each meal serves 2. Total cost, about $60 per box.) And finally, I actually LIKE to visit my favorite local veggie, fruit, meat and bakery vendors.

However, I know couples in Santa Barbara and the Sonoma wine country who work a lot and love the convenience and fresh quality of meal kits. Also, some Northern California retiree friends really enjoy opening the box of pretty recipes and groceries; it’s like a big weekly Christmas present. Their only complaint : “No more catfish!”

Intrigued? Here’s a sampling of meal kit services that want you.

Blue Apron

Freshly

Plated

Sun Basket

Hello Fresh

Home Chef

Munchery

Purple Carrot

About me: I like to write about food and beverage innovations that are not just for elites. (We’re not talking about $50 bottles of olive oil here.) A version of this post appears on my newsletter The Shapely Grape.