The Prophet ﷺ prescribed Zakat al-Fitr as a ṣāʿ of food — dates, barley, and the like — given to the poor (Sahih al-Bukhari 1503, Sahih Muslim 984), and the majority (Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, and Ḥanbalī) hold it must be paid in food rather than its cash value, since paying money departs from how the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions performed it. The Ḥanafīs permit paying the equivalent value in money, and this is a recognised, longstanding difference of opinion. On the Salafī manhaj the stronger and safer position is to give actual food, as it most closely follows the established sunnah, though a Muslim who follows qualified scholars permitting cash is not thereby sinful.
Evidence — the daleel
Sahih al-Bukhari 1503 ṢaḥīḥSahih Muslim 984 Ṣaḥīḥ
On deen2u
Informational, not a personal fatwa. Consult a qualified scholar for rulings on your situation.