One of the reasons why soups and processed meats irritate people with
inflamatory bowel disease is because they contain
MSG.
I was sick with the flu last summer, so I ate soup and suddenly had a flare-up. I checked the ingrediants and found that many canned soups contain MSG. I also had a flare-up after eating hotdogs, and again discovered that many brands of hotdogs and sausages contain MSG (as do canned meat spreads).
After some reasearch, I experimented and discovered that soups and processed meats that do not contain MSG produce no ill-effects on my system. Other people may also have similar results, but I recommend that you tread lightly when experimenting -- you do not want to set off your illness.
I've found that soy-based sausages and organic soups do not contain MSG and do not make me sick. Supermarkets such as Whole Foods and Bread and Circus sell these products, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for alternative food choices.